Downturn in adoptions forces voluntary agency to close
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
A voluntary adoption agency (VAA) has announced its closure after 30 years blaming a reduction in children being placed for adoption and changes in placement practices by regional adoption agencies (RAA).
Families for Children, which has placed more than 700 children with adoptive families, said “the effects of the development of RAAs and the year-on-year reduction in the number of children who are receiving adoption as their permanency plan” have played key factors in its closure.
“Fewer children have been available from local authorities to place with families and many RAAs have sought to minimise external placements, which has meant that fewer children are placed with VAAs even though children who wait the longest are still waiting to be placed,” according to a statement from Families for Children.
Latest Department for Education figures show that the number of children adopted in the year to 31 March 2021, dropped by 18 per cent compared with the previous 12 months. The DfE said that while adoption rates have seen a “continuing fall” from peak rates in 2015, the 2021 drop was “likely driven by the impact on court proceedings during the pandemic, where cases progressed more slowly or were paused".
Families for Children also highlighted “greater pressures” on trusts and grant funders to support more charities, meaning Families for Children has struggled to secure funding to support families following placement of a child.
The government’s Adoption Support Fund “does not cover practical, lower-level day-to-day needs”.
“VAAs have sought charitable funding to be able to offer those much needed services.
“With Covid, the Ukraine war and the rising cost of living, charitable funds have been targeted to particular needs, and charitable funds reduced during Covid, leaving more charities chasing the same few funders,” the statement added.
Families for Children has raised concerns over the impact of VAA closures on children with additional and complex needs waiting for placements, noting that since 2010, it has placed 93 sibling groups of three or more children and 113 children aged four years and older.
“Families for Children has adopters waiting for those children with the greatest need but the increased time delays have badly affected our cash flow and we are not able to continue,” it said.
