An urgent adoption appeal has more than halved the number of children in Kirklees waiting for new families.

Since Kirklees Council put out its appeal for more people to adopt in January, numbers have fallen from 90 to 36 last month.

Enquiries from prospective parents have also soared to its highest levels, up by more than 100 per cent during 2012/13, compared to the same period the previous year.

And it has been a record year for Kirklees in terms of the number of approved new adopters and for children matched with families, with 34 new adopters approved and 47 children matched with new families.

The Council is hoping more people will come forward as part of National Adoption Week which started on Monday.

Kirklees Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services Cllr Cath Harris, said: “It is great news that more people than ever are making the decision to adopt. Although sadly many of the children in our care have experienced some degree of upheaval, we’ve seen time and again, the transformation in them once placed within a permanent and loving environment.

“But with 36 children in Kirklees still in urgent need of adoption and with numbers set to continue rising both locally and nationally, we simply cannot afford to be complacent."

The Government’s target to match children with adoptive parents is around eight months but Kirklees is consistently achieving its own target of six months working closely with local authorities across the country to find the best possible match for both parent and child as quickly as possible.

Representatives from Kirklees Council’s adoption team will be at Huddersfield Town football club's Canalside complex at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday before the match with Birmingham to answer any questions and provide information about adoption.

The Council’s adoption team canalso be contacted on 0800 028 3001, or go to kirklees.gov.uk/adoption