Children’s minister Michelle Donelan issued the letter to directors of children’s services calling for “a renewed focus on adoption by all local authorities”.
The government is “determined to see adoption pursued whenever it is in a child’s best interests and to develop a fully regionalised system where all children are matched with adoptive parents without undue delay,” the five-page letter reads.
The latest Department for Education figures showed the number of children placed for adoption dropped compared with the previous year despite a record number of children in care.
In a statement accompanying the letter, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Adoption can transform the lives of children waiting in care for a permanent, loving home. I applaud the hard work and commitment of the social workers who dedicate themselves to giving children the kind of home environment that many of us take for granted and urge them not to shy away from putting children forward for adoption.”
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