Social Care News: Adoption - Voluntary agencies not used due to cost

The British Association for Adoption & Fostering told a Children Now conference last week it had evidence of children waiting for adoption when there were families ready to adopt them.

Barbara Hutchinson, deputy chief executive of the association, said: "We have examples where social workers don't place a child with a family approved by a voluntary adoption agency because they don't have the money." Fees for using a voluntary adoption agency can be about £6,000 more than using a local authority. Hutchinson said: "Two or three years down the line the children get adopted by a voluntary adoption agency, but it costs the local authority in the interim."

The Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies has just written to the Department for Education and Skills about the issue. They are waiting for a response.