Sector leaders criticise government's call to prioritise adoption
Fiona Simpson
Friday, January 17, 2020
Children’s services leaders have criticised the government over a call for councils to prioritise adoption, saying it does not consider other forms of care that may be more beneficial to some looked-after children.
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.”
The letter drew widespread criticism from across the sector, with many branding it “disappointing”.
Kevin Williams, chief executive of the Fostering Network, said on Twitter that the organisation "continues to be perplexed by the Westminster government's use of language and continued view of adoption as the gold standard of care".
Williams suggested the letter appeared to pre-empt the findings of a government review into social care in England, promised in the Conservative Party’s election manifesto.
"It's particularly disappointing that this letter should be sent out at this time when the government has committed to commissioning a review of care in England," he added, saying: "While adoption may be the best route to stability for a small number of children, the majority of children in care do not need adopting and all forms of permanence should be properly supported and considered for each child,” he said.
Andy Elvin, chief executive of Tact Fostering and Adoption, called the language used in the letter “insulting and unthinking”.
He said: “Children in foster care are not ‘waiting for a permanent, loving home’: they are living in one. Long-term stability is vital and it is achieved in different ways for different children.
“For some it is returning to birth parents, for some it is going to live with a relative who has selflessly come forward, for some it is long-term foster care, for some it is residential care and for some it is adoption. There is no hierarchy to these options, it depends on the individual child’s circumstance.”
Brigid Featherstone, professor of social work at the University of Huddersfield, said the letter was “out of line” citing the results of a study she co-authored for the British Association of Social Workers (BASW).
The study called for further discussion around the adoption system and its status in relation to other permanence options.
Rachel Dickinson, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), said the government “must not over-simplify what are complex and life-changing decisions, what is important is that the needs and best interests of each individual child remains at the forefront of decision making at all times”.
“ADCS would like to see a broadening of the debate about adoption to fully recognise the value of all forms of permanence and consider the care system as a whole,” she added.
Some adoption organisation leaders praised the move with Andrew Christie, Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board chair, saying: “We want to see higher quality decision making and adoption pursued whenever it is in a child’s best interests, a system where children are matched with adoptive parents without undue delay and adoptive families receiving better support.”
Adoption UK chief executive Sue Armstrong-Brown added: “Adoption is a critical route out of care for children who can’t return to their birth families and I welcome the government’s renewed commitment to ensuring the adoption sector is fit for purpose. This means investing to value adopters and the love and stability they provide for the most complex and vulnerable children in society."
A Local Government Association (LGA) spokesperson said “councils share the government’s ambition to make sure that children in care have stable, loving homes, including through adoption where appropriate, however, we don’t believe that any one form of permanence is superior to others.”
“Whichever option is best for a child, it is vital that all parts of the system are working well together, from councils and adoption agencies to the family courts, and we are keen to work with the government to make sure this operates as well as it should,” they said.