England adoption rates fall as numbers of children in care rise

The number of adoptions in England has fallen by a third in the past four years, against a backdrop of increasing numbers of children in care, according to official statistics.

The number of children leaving care because of adoption fell by 7% in the last year alone, continuing a sharp downward trend since 2015.

According to the figures, published by the Department for Education on Thursday, the number of children who were adopted dropped to 3,570 in the year leading up to the end of March, down from a peak of 5,360 in 2015. Meanwhile, in the last year the number of looked-after children rose by 4% to 78,150.

The Adoption UK chief executive, Sue Armstrong Brown, said: “There is no right number of adoptions. However, the decline in recent years, despite the number of children coming into care increasing, has been a cause for concern for all.

“We urgently need to see improvements in the way adopters are recruited, trained and supported to ensure these vulnerable children find the loving, stable homes they deserve.”

Only a small proportion of looked-after children are deemed suitable for adoption, but numbers rose markedly between 2011 and 2015 after the prime ministers Tony Blair and later David Cameron made it a government priority to increase adoption rates.

The recent decline has been linked partly to the increasing success of fertility treatment, which means fewer would-be parents are considering adoption.

Anthony Douglas, speaking last year when he was chief executive of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, said: “IVF used to be around 7% successful and now it’s around 30%. So, as a choice, adoption is competing with lots of other ways of having children.”

In addition, a 2013 high court ruling countered the political drive to hasten and increase adoption, warning it should not override due process or break up families unnecessarily. As adoptions have gone down, there has been a corresponding increase in kinship care placements, keeping children within families.

Carol Homden, chief executive of Coram children’s charity, echoed concerns about the drop in adoptions. “There are more single [people] and same-sex couples adopting now, and timescales for children adopted are still good, however those not yet adopted are waiting longer.

“This dichotomy indicates a need to recruit more adopters and improve child-centred planning to ensure all children have the security and love they need.”

The DfE figures show that the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children increased by 11% to 5,070 over the last year. They now represent about 6% of all children looked after in England.

Sam Royston, director of policy and research at the Children’s Society, expressed concern about a rise in the number of children being placed outside their home area, as well as the “huge increase” in the number of young people entering semi-independent unregulated placements.

“Too often, children in these placements do not get the help they need and some are cynically targeted by dangerous adults. It’s vital the law is changed to ensure that semi-independent supported accommodation for children is regulated and inspected, and a national action plan is needed, backed by funding, to ensure all areas can offer local placements to all children for where this is appropriate.”