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Adoption UK warns that adoptive parents continue to be discriminated against in the workplace.

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Adoption Facts and Figures

This page gives some of the most recent available statistics and figures relating to adoption and the UK care system. Separate figures are provided for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Quick links to adoption figures for:

• England
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales

England

Looked after children

There were 65,520 children in local authority care in England on 31 March 2011 - a 2% increase from 2010. Of these:

• 56% were boys and 44% girls
• Most (62%) came to social services’ attention due to abuse or neglect
• 48,530 (74%) were in a foster placement. A total of 2,450 children were placed for adoption at 31 March 2010 - 50 less than last year.
  

Age

The average age at adoption was 3 years 10 months

• 6% (3,660) of children in care in England on 31 March 2010 were under one year old
• 18% (12,020) were aged between one and four years old
• 18% (11,830) were aged between five and nine years old
• 37% (24,160) were aged between 10 and 15 years old
• 21% (13,860) were aged 16 and over

Adoptions

During the year ending 31 March 2011, 3,050 looked-after children were adopted - a decrease of 5% from 2010.
Of the children adopted:

• 51% (1,560) were boys; 49 per cent (1,500) were girls
• 2% (60) were under one year old
  
• 71% (2,170) were aged between one and four years old
• 24% (730) were aged between five and nine years old
• 3% (90) were aged between 10 and 15 years old
• 84% were of White British origin, 10% of mixed ethnic origin, 2% Asian or Asian British and 2% black or black British
• 72% were placed for adoption due to abuse or neglect, 12% due to family dysfunction, 8% because the birth family was in 'acute stress'
  

Adoptive parents

• 91 per cent (2,900) of looked-after children who were adopted in the year ending March 2010 were adopted by two people, nine per cent by one person
  
• Most adopters were married (82%)
• In 2010, 6% of adopters were an unmarried couple (different gender), 2% was an unmarried couple (same gender) and 2% were civil partners

Adoption Register for England and Wales

A total of 335 children were matched between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011.

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM)

An independent body set up by the Department for Education and Skills, adoption applicants in England can apply to the IRM for a review of their adoption agency's determination not to approve them as adopters or to withdraw their approval.

In the year 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010, the IRM accepted 91 applications, 14 (15 per cent) of which were adoption cases.
No applications were received realting to inter-country adoption.

Although the IRM is unable to give a full analysis of the reasons given by agencies and the review panels for not recommending a prospective adopter as suitable to adopt, it gave predominant reasons for non-approval :

• Ability to work with agency and understand the needs of a looked after child
• A lack of high emotional resilience

Sources

http://www.education.gov.uk/

http://www.adoptionregister.org.uk/ 

http://www.independentreviewmechanism.org.uk/ 

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html

Northern Ireland

Looked after children

• 52% were boys and 48% were girls.

Age

• 2% of children (78) looked after on 31 March 2010 were under 1 year old
• 17% (441) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 30% (791) were aged between 5 and 11 years old
• 31% (811) were aged between 12 and 15 years old
• 19% (485) were aged 16 and over

Adoptions (years 2007- 2008)

• 64 looked after children were adopted in the year ending 31st March 2008 - eight more than the number adopted in 2006.
• 61 percent (39) were adopted by foster carers.
• 50 percent (32) of children adopted during the year ending 31st March 2008 were boys and 50 percent (32) were girls
• 59 percent (38) of children adopted during the year ending 31st March 2008 were under 4 years old
• 41 percent (26) were aged 5 and over
• From last entry into care, the average length of time for a child to be adopted in 2008 was three years, six months.

Sources:

Scotland

Looked after children

• 54.8% (8,252) were boys and 45.2% (6,911) were girls.
• 91% (13,918) were of white origin
• 14.6% (238) were of mixed ethnicity
• 0.5% (83) were Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British
• 0.4% (57) were Black, Black Scottish or Black British
• 0.4% (54) were from other ethnic groups
• 5.5% (845) were of unknown ethnic origin
• 0.6% (93) were of undisclosed ethnic origin

Age

• 2 percent (356) of children looked after on 31st March 2009 were under 1 year old
• 18% (2,800) were aged between one and four years old
• 36% (5,509) were aged between five and 11 years old
• 33% (5015) were aged between 12 and 15 years old
• 10% (1,460) were aged 16 or 17
• 1% (148) were aged between 19 and 21 years old

Adoptions

• 316 children were adopted by non-relatives during 2009
• 455 adoptions took place in 2009 (includes step-parent (23.7%), grandparent(s) (1.5%), other relation(s) (4.8%) and no relation (69.5%) adoptions)

Sources:

Wales

Looked after children

• 2,800 were boys and 2,365 were girls.
• 4,830 of looked after children were of white origin
• 145 were of mixed racial background
• 50 were Asian or Asian British
• 45 were Black or Black British
• 65 were from other ethnic groups
• 25 were of unknown ethnic origin

Age

• 280 of children looked after on 31 March 2010 were under 1 year old
• 1,010 were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 1,065 were aged between 5 and 9 years old
• 2,070 were aged between 10 and 15 years old
• 725 were aged 16 and over
• 10 were aged 18 and over

Adoptions

• 230 children were adopted from care during the year ending 31 March 2010
• 130 of children adopted during the year ending 31 March 2010 were boys and 100 were girls
• *% (4) of children adopted was under 1 year old
• 74% (170) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 24% (55) were aged between 5 and 9 years old
• *% (7) were aged between 10 and 15 years old

• The average time between entry into care and adoption was approximately two years, seven months or 954 days

Sources:

http://www.wales.gov.uk/

Current media messages:

• Of the children placed for adoption in the UK last year, approximately 70 percent came from abusive or neglectful background. Many spend months or years in the care system. This unimaginably difficult and traumatic start to life can cause attachment, development and behavioural difficulties. These are the children that adoptive parents invite into their homes and try to parent. Traditional parenting techniques can be counter-productive or retraumatising.
• Adopted children need a different kind of parenting.
• Adoptive parents come from all walks of life, and are perfectly normal people, but they face their children’s trauma head on, every day, showing courage, patience and love. Adoption UK provides a network of support to inform and empower these parents to make adoptions work. But there are no quick fixes, no magic wands. Adoptive parenting is hard, and as the Government has acknowledged - Adoptive parents are normal people doing an extraordinary job, and they need support.
• At its worst, adoption can seem impossible, even traumatising for parents. But taking a child who has had the worst start in life, and giving them a future filled with love, understanding and support means that - Adopting a child is one of the most challenging and rewarding things you can do. Adopters need to be therapeutic parents for traumatised children.