BOLTON Council has been handpicked by the government to help form one of the country’s first regional adoption agencies.

The brand new organisation aims to place children into stable and loving homes quicker than ever before.

Bolton was picked because figures show the town is the number one authority for finding new families for children in care. Adoption rates stand at 35 per cent — more than double the national average — and the best in the country.

Bolton will link up with Blackburn with Darwen Council, Bury Council, Oldham Council, Rochdale Council and Tameside Council, as well as adoption agencies Adoption Matters and Caritas Care.

The idea of the regional agency is to place children with their “forever family” without delay as research shows councils, working independently, tend to concentrate their efforts on finding local parents first rather than looking further afield. This can lead to children waiting much longer than necessary when families are available to adopt the youngsters.

Three other agencies will also involve councils in the North West and other adoption charities.

And the government — which says the new body will given councils a greater pool of adoptive parents to match with children and will make adoption support services more widely available — is ploughing £30 million into the scheme to help council cover costs when finding families outside their authority.

Cllr Linda Thomas, Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, said: “We are delighted to have been selected, with our partners, to be among the first Regional Adoption Agencies. This is an exciting opportunity to bring together expertise across the agencies and we welcome the financial and practical support that the Department for Education will provide.

“In Bolton we aim to put the needs of the child first and this new collaboration will enable us all to work together to quickly match children to their new family from a wider pool of suitable adopters.”

Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson, who grew up with two adopted brothers, said: “Every single day a child in the North West spends waiting in care for their new family is a further delay to a life full of love and stability – and so I’m delighted to announce the region as one of the first Regional Adoption Agencies.

“Where adoption is proven to be in the best interest of the child, we have a duty to make sure they’re matched quickly with the parents right for them - regardless of where they live.

“By coming together and joining forces, councils and adoption agencies across the region will be able to reach across artificial boundaries and access an ever growing pool of approved adopters, creating families quickly and successfully."