Cameron announces action to stem fall in adoptions

Figures published today by the Adoption Leadership Board show that 1,140 children were adopted between April and June this year, compared with 1,330 between October and December 2014, a fall of 14.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of children being approved for adoption by the courts is continuing to fall, with 750 placement orders made between April and June this year, compared with 950 between January and March.

The drop in children being placed for adoption and the subsequent drop in numbers of adoptions taking place are widely accepted to stem from a ruling made in September 2013 by Sir James Munby in the case Re B-S.

In the ruling, Munby criticised "sloppy practice" of social workers and said that local authorities must provide evidence that all alternatives to adoption had been considered before bringing a case to court.

Today the government said it is “actively considering changes to adoption law” to make sure decisions are being made in the child’s best interests.

“Ministers will look at proposals so that where adoption is the right thing for children, social workers and courts pursue this,” a statement issued by the Department for Education said.

The DfE added that although the average wait for children between entering care and being placed with an adoptive family is falling – the time is currently 17 months, which is five months quicker than in 2012-13 – it is still not fast enough.

Cameron said: “It is a tragedy that there are still too many children waiting to be placed with a loving family – we have made real progress, but it remains a problem.

“As Prime Minister, I want to make sure that we do everything we can so children are placed in a loving home as soon as possible, giving them the best chance for a happy and fulfilled life.”

The government also said it will toughen up assessments for special guardianship orders to “ensure young people are placed with the best person able to care for them – and not unsuitable distant relatives they have never met”.

In September, CYP Now reported on concerns that vulnerable children are being placed in inappropriate arrangements due to a preference among family judges for special guardianship orders (SGOs) over adoption.

Research commissioned by the DfE suggested that SGOs, which are used predominantly to give relatives of a child legal responsibility for their upbringing, are sometimes granted to carers who are not members of the extended family and who have no existing relationship with the child.

The government is conducting a review of SGOs. In September, children's minister Edward Timpson said that, through the review, the government hopes to make improvements to the decision-making process around SGOs, as well as subsequent support for guardians.