National adoption maps released by Government show more adopters are needed
5 April 2013National adoption maps have been issued today by the Department for Education which show more adopters are needed to provide loving homes for children waiting for adoption.
The maps, which contain information on children going through the adoption process and adopters recruited and assessed by local authorities, are based on local authority data collected a year ago (year ending March 2012) by the Department for Education and Ofsted.
The Department of Education makes it clear that the maps are not a judgement on local authority performance, as they only give a snapshot of data, but are intended to help inform prospective adopters about some aspects of the adoption system.
Gemma Gordon-Johnson, Head of Service at First4Adoption, said: “The maps give us a snapshot of the adoption system in England, but only tell part of the story. For example, the maps do not include information on adopters recruited by voluntary adoption agencies and the regional variations may simply be because one local authority covers a larger population than others. It is also worth bearing in mind that the data was collected a year ago so the number of children waiting for adoption in the various local authorities may have changed considerably since then.
“However, the maps do cover topics that potential adopters might like to ask a local authority or voluntary adoption agency about. For example, they might like to ask about the average waiting time for adopters, how quickly a particular agency might assess prospective adopters and what kinds of parents they are currently looking for to meet the needs of the children waiting for adoption.
“These maps show that we need more adopters to come forward, so whether you are just starting to consider adoption, want to find out how to approach an adoption agency or have any questions about the adoption process, visit our new website www.first4adoption.org.uk or give our friendly, trained advisors a call on 0300 222 0022.”
The Department for Education maps can be found here http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/adoption/a00219985/
The Department for Education said new data will be updated as newer figures become available.
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