Adopted celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton is backing a campaign to get more prospective adopters from his hometown to come forward.
The Being Family campaign kicks off on Monday and has been launched by the Yorkshire and Humber Adoption Consortium.
At the heart of the campaign is an interactive website where people can find out more about adopting, ask questions and request an information pack.
Andrew, who grew up in Royston, has thrown his support behind the recruitment drive, which seeks to quell potential adopter's anxieties about the adoption process and dispel common myths around people's eligibility to adopt.
The celebrity stylist, who began his hairdressing career as an apprentice in Barnsley and now has a flagship salon in London's Covent Garden, said: "I'm proud to have been adopted as a child and strongly believe without the loving support of my parents and family I may not have become the man I am today.
"Of course there are always questions around birth, heritage and the differences we have as a family but the love and care I received from my family is all I really needed.
"I relish conversations around nature or nurture and know that my family are mine regardless of nature.
"It saddens me that so many children are waiting for new families and am delighted to add my voice to creating awareness for these children in my work by supporting this important campaign."
Nic Haughton, from the Yorkshire and Humber Adoption Consortium, said the aim is to get more people to think about adoption.
"We want to bust some of the myths about adoption, about age, marital status and income levels. We want people to think 'maybe I could do that' rather than rule themselves out," she said.
Last month Barnsley Council revealed there are 51 children in Barnsley who are waiting for adoptive families.
It was revealed ahead of its first 'profiling event' for prospective adopters, which is an opportunity to talk with foster carers of children waiting for a permanent family and to see DVDs and information about the children. This will take place on Tuesday.
For more information about the Being Family initiative being backed by Andrew Barton, visit www.beingfamily.co.uk or call 0300 222 5934.
