It is very good news that adoptions in the Bradford district are on the rise, with almost 100 youngsters being found permanent homes last year.

A stable home life is something many of us take for granted but to those children without one it must seem like an impossible dream.

The fact that adoptions are on the rise is perhaps testimony, in part, to a recent drive to overhaul the adoption process and simplify the system so that appropriate homes could be found more quickly for children.

But it is also mainly down to the generosity of those who are willing to not only open their homes to a stranger, but take them in and love them as they would children of their own.

Of course, such things cannot be rushed too much – the families, couples or individuals who wish to adopt must be closely vetted and the domestic situation scrutinised to ensure that the young people – who may well have had not the best start in life – are placed in appropriate and safe new homes. But clearer guidance is obviously helping local authorities with the business of creating permanent and stable homes for children in need.

However, as encouraging as the figures are, there are still many children and young people in the Bradford district who are in the care of the local authority and require adopting.

It is not a decision to be taken lightly – adoptive parents must be very special people who have a lot of love to give. But the rewards for those adoptive parents must be absolutely immense.

Let us hope that this positive upward trend in adoption in Bradford continues apace.