Cameron's flagship children's policy 'faces crisis' as adoption figures fall
Cameron's flagship children's policy 'faces crisis' as adoption figures fall
Prime minister’s promise to speed up process falters as figures show drop in children being matched with families
Barnardo’s is concerned about decline in children being put forward for adoption.
Barnardo’s is concerned about decline in children being put forward for adoption. Photograph: I Love Images/REX Shutterstock
Patrick Butler Social policy editor
Thursday 1 October 2015 17.41 BST Last modified on Friday 2 October 2015 00.02 BST
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A priority government policy to increase the number of children being adopted is faltering, a charity has said, after official figures revealed a dramatic slowdown in the matching of vulnerable children to adoptive parents.
The number of children granted an adoption placement order – the first step to being adopted – fell 24% in the year to March in England. The number being matched for adoption with a family – the second stage before an adoption is completed – fell 15%, according to statistics published by the Department for Education (DfE).
Javed Khan, chief executive of Barnardo’s, the children’s charity, said without intervention a “real crisis” would develop.
“We are deeply concerned about the drastic 24% fall in the number of children being put forward for adoption,” he said. “It’s crucial that local authorities don’t shy away from acting decisively on adoption. These can be tough decisions, but the best interests of vulnerable children must be put first.”
There was a 5% rise in completed adoptions in England last year, but this was markedly down on the previous year, when a 26% increase was recorded, but the fall in placement orders and the number of children being matched with families mean that the overall adoptions are expected to fall in future years.
The DfE warned that it “would not hesitate to take further action” if placement numbers continued to fall.
Adoption was made a priority by the coalition, with the prime minister declaring in 2012 that there was “no more pressing issue” and promising to speed up the adoption process. Over the next two years, the number of children completing the process rose by 60%.
The DfE blamed a family court ruling made in September 2014, in which a judge criticised local authorities for bringing forward too many “sloppy” applications for the decline in adoption placements in recent months.
Sir James Munby, president of the high court family division, warned that the political drive to hasten and increase the number of adoptions should not override due process and break up families unnecessarily.
The law says that a child should only be separated from its parents in extreme circumstances. Munby said the 26-week timetable imposed on the courts by the government for the process to be completed was too inflexible and could result in parents being denied justice.
Although the Adoption Leadership Board subsequently issued guidance insisting that Munby’s ruling did not change the law, Thursday’s figures suggest local authorities are thinking more carefully about adoption and are choosing ther forms of care, such as placing children with relatives or foster carers.
The total number of looked-after children in all forms of care in England continued to rise last year, up 1% to 69,540, meaning it is now higher than at any point since 1985. Last year, 5,330 children in care were adopted.
The majority of children in care (75%) are fostered, the statistics show. Nearly two-thirds are taken into care due to neglect or abuse.
A DfE spokesman said: “It is vital that all children can benefit from being in a loving and stable home, and we’re pleased to see that over 5,000 children were adopted in the last 12 months. Where adoption is in the best interests of the child it is right that they are placed with their new family as soon as possible.
“There has been a decrease in the number of children with an adoption decision as a result of the way local authorities have interpreted some court judgments. The Adoption Leadership Board published guidance to clarify what these judgments mean and to allow clear and confident adoption decisions to be made.
“We are monitoring the impact of the new guidance, and what happens to the numbers very closely, and will not hesitate to take further action if this proves necessary.”
Alison O’Sullivan, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, defended local authority decision-making. “This is not a numbers game,” she said. “It is about finding stable, loving and permanent homes for children who cannot live with their birth parents and is one of the most important things that we do.
“So whilst these figures show a recent reduction in applications to the courts, this should not deflect from the substantial increase we have seen in adoption over the last few years or that in the same period we have seen an increase in the use of special guardianship orders.
“In each case, all options are carefully considered by the local authority alongside the needs and wishes of the children and then presented to the courts. Central to all adoption proceedings is ensuring the right outcomes for each individual child to provide them with the stability they need and truly deserve.”
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