Adoption UK statement on Government’s plans to overhaul adoption assessment

22 Dec 2011

National charity, Adoption UK welcomed today’s Government announcement on improving the assessment process for prospective adopters.

Jonathan Pearce, Adoption UK Chief Executive, will be part of the Children’s Minister’s Adoption Assessment Working Group, which will draw up a new process to recruit, train and assess people as adoptive parents.

Mr Pearce said: “A great deal of improvement is needed to bring the process up to where it should be and it is great to see that the Government is pushing forward with this issue.

“Earlier this year, Adoption UK conducted a survey of its membership and found that while the majority of adopters going through the process to become adoptive parents are experiencing good practice, too many are subjected to long wait times and bad practice - if they get through the doors at all.

“When there are an increasing number of children waiting to be adopted, it is of upmost importance that the assessment process is as efficient, but also as thorough, as possible.

“While we appreciate that not everyone applying is suitable to become an adopter, the delays are simply not good enough when we have thousands of children waiting to be adopted into homes where they can be helped to reach their full potential.

He added: “However, Adoption UK believes any focus on recruiting adopters must go hand-in-hand with good support packages to encourage new adopters and ensure the long-term success of adoptive placements.

“After all, there’s no point in having an open door, if the rooms inside don’t contain the support that families need to parent adopted children traumatised by their early experiences of abuse and neglect within the birth family.

Around 4,000 children were adopted from the UK care system in the year ending March 31, 2011. The majority, around 70 percent, were removed from their birth families due to abuse or neglect.

ends

For further information:

Erika Pennington, Adoption UK – erika@adoptionuk.org.uk or 01295 752960.

Out-of-Office Hours: 07500 968475

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Notes for Editors:

Adoption UK

  • Adoption UK is a registered charity (number 326654) and adoption support agency, and was established in 1971.
  • Adoption UK is the only national charity run by and for adoptive parents. The charity’s aim is to provide and support a self-help network for adoptive parents to explore the unique social, emotional and developmental needs of adopted children and young people and their families. Through this network, Adoption UK also promotes effective learning practice, based on over 35 years’ experience of adoptive parenting, which is integrated with current theories of trauma, attachment and development.
  • Adoption UK supports parents before, during and after the adoption process
  • Members have experience of adopting in UK and abroad, from babies and toddlers to teenagers, with a wide range of medical, emotional, physical and learning difficulties.
  • Membership represents multicultural Britain.
  • The Online Community launched in November 2003 and won Charity Website of the Year 2004. Key features include message boards, letters, library of resources, database of real life experiences, special features and daily news. Over 80% of visitors are UK-based however the site has been embraced by people touched by adoption around the world.
  • Adoption UK offers a range of other services to adoptive families, including: a national telephone helpline; access to local support groups throughout the UK; contact networks; Adoption Today and Children Who Wait magazines, information leaflets and publications; training programmes and courses; and a lending library.
  • Adoption UK also lobbies and campaigns on behalf of the concerns of adoptive families.

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