At the start of 2013, children and families minister Edward Timpson delivered a stark ultimatum to councils: recruit more adopters and place children more quickly or relinquish that role.
The warning came as part of an extensive push by the government, spearheaded by Education Secretary Michael Gove, himself adopted as a baby, to increase the number of looked-after children adopted.
Figures released in 2012 showed that 4,600 children deemed eligible for adoption were waiting for homes, with an estimated 2,000 adopters needed to meet this backlog. A further 600 adopters also need to be recruited each year to keep pace with demand.
Councils also have a 639-day (21-month) deadline to place a child highlighted for adoption from when they enter care. But statistics from the years 2009 to 2012 shows the three-year average for 37 councils was considerably above that, at between 692 and 1,082 days.
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