Children left waiting as adoption numbers fall
As the numbers of children waiting for adoption in the UK continue to grow, authorities are finding it increasingly difficult to attract suitable adopters and fosterers.
The BBC reported that adoption of children has fallen from 12,121 in 1978 to around 4,650 in 2017 in England and Wales.
It is believed that progress in IVF treatments since the original test-tube baby in 1978 are a root cause of the problem.
But this isn’t the only issue local authorities are faced with.
Often children are left waiting for a home, even when a willing adopter does arrive.
Wendy Wood, the Group Manager for Adoption at West Sussex County Council, said: “The real challenge is in adopter efficiency, we find ourselves with more children than we can find adopters for.”
She added that councils are also struggling to find the right people.
“Matching adopters to children is hard to guarantee, we still expect to place 20 percent of children outside of our area.”
In total, 45 children were adopted in West Sussex in 2016–17 with an average of 32 for counties throughout the South East.
Visit First4Adoption for more information on adoption or to find out if you’re eligible to adopt.
