Prue Leith has opened up about how difficult the adoption process is in the UK. Speaking about her adopted daughter Li-Da's struggles to adopt a child on her own, telling Radio Times: "I would encourage anyone to adopt, but the process Li-Da has been through has been unbelievably hard and difficult."
Prue opened up about her daughter's adoption struggle
The Bake Off judge continued: "Twice she was promised a child and was then told no, there was a more suitable family, which was based on race. They call it 'ethnic cultural background', but it’s based on colour. One time she was too white, and the other time she was too black.It was heartbreaking. Any woman who is physically able to have a child can go ahead and do it. But absolutely perfect childless people can spend a year ticking boxes before they’re pronounced suitable, and then another two or three years before they get the child. Why?"
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She added: "If you can show you have no criminal record, and can produce half-a-dozen references from key figures through your life to show you’re a good person, then it should be possible to adopt straight away. To leave children in care, going backwards and forwards while there are endless appeals and hearings and panels, is completely crazy."
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Li-Da has now adopted a baby boy, and Prue said: "Every parent feels proud when they see their children’s achievements. Maybe even more when they’re adopted because as well as pride, there was something extra: wonder... Now she has adopted a child because she felt her own adoption was so successful and that’s just another way she makes me feel proud."
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