There are more children waiting to be adopted than there are families approved to adopt, Bradford Council has revealed.

The process for adopting a child has been sped up, but there are still not enough parents to give every child a stable, permanent home.

Bradford Council’s Adoption Service now hopes to recruit a new swathe of adoptive families, but is worried that people may be ruling themselves out unnecessarily because of misconceptions about who can adopt.

The service has said it will not rule out any potential adoptive parent based on factors such as their age, marital status or sexual orientation.

Councillor Ralph Berry, executive member for children’s services, said: “We urge anyone interested in adoption to make an enquiry.”

Common misconceptions are that anyone aged over 40 cannot adopt, or that being single, gay, or having a disability, or already having children will prevent them from being allowed to adopt.

Adoption service manager Sheri Kinbrum, adoption service manager, said: “The good news is that more people are eligible to adopt than are not.

“Although matters such as the health and background of potential adopters are thoroughly assessed, there are fewer barriers to adoption than many people think. We hope that the new faster, two-step process will encourage more people to come forward.” Earlier this year, Education Secretary Michael Gove – who was adopted as a baby – unveiled a new plan to speed up the process in England.

A national YouGov poll revealed that one in four adults think being over the age of 40 would stop someone from being able to adopt a child. The British Association for Adoption and Fostering, which commissioned the poll, said “damaging myths” were stopping many able older people from coming forward.

Call Bradford Council on (01274) 434331, e-mail adoptionfostering @bradford.gov.uk or visit www.bradford.gov.uk/adoption.