The board of the Isle of Man Adoption Service (IOMAS) and The Children’s Centre have started discussions about an amalgamation under the umbrella of The Children’s Centre.
The Reverend Les Lawrinson, chairman of IOMAS, said: ‘After much consideration the board have concluded that following the rapid expansion of the charity over recent years, it would now benefit from the support of a larger organisation. The board is committed to ensuring the continued provision of a first class service to the Isle of Man adoption community in the future.’
John Knight, chief executive of The Children’s Centre, added: ‘The Children’s Centre is able to provide a support network that is not readily available to IOMAS as a smaller, independent charity.
‘The Children’s Centre provides a range of services to children, young people and families across the island, and shares with IOMAS an understanding of the unique issues that arise on the island and the resulting problems that can face families.
‘Under the umbrella of The Children’s Centre the IOMAS will not only be able to maintain the current level of care offered to families, it will also be able to make use of The Children’s Centre’s resources, such as the Community Farm, to develop further services for the adoption community on the Isle of Man.’
The Department of Social Care supports the merger.