Adoption: targets and figures
New figures on the number of adoptions in England and Wales are reported in the media today with the general message that there needs to be more adoptions and the process needs to be speeded up.
I’m always wary of these calls to action. Adoption figures can be related in so many emotive ways… “languishing in care” or the contrast “forced adoption… child snatchers”, leading to calls to increase or decrease the numbers of adoptions.
Focussing solely on numbers means you miss the factors that create those numbers. More exploration of the figures is needed to see where the bottlenecks are and what part of the process can be improved to address these.
There are faults with the adoption process and care system and these need to be addressed by improving systems and processes and offering the right support to professionals and families. But a rush to change everything and speed things up could lead to important steps being missed.
Myths about who can and can’t adopt need to be debunked and the process of adoption demystified.
Most importantly for me, the support of families and children is paramount. The ongoing impact of early abuse and neglect on children who go on to adoption is not given the same recognition as that of the looked after child, with some families opting for a long term foster care arrangement rather than adoption so that they don’t lose specialist services for their child.
Regardless of the numbers, the end result of all these processes should be that a child is living in the family setting that is best for them and that they are given the best chance to thrive.
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It’s not about the numbers
I have bene following the whole less adoption topic and finding it very interesting. A friend is currently fostering a child but has been told it could be a year before the child is moved into a family. It makes me feel sad that my friend is gonig to get attached to this small child and then have to say goodbye.
thekidscoach
October 2, 2011 at 3:44 pm
Hi
I’m now 5 years in to being an adoptive Dad and couldn’t agree more about adoption support being absolutely paramount. In fact I got so ticked off with having to constantly advocate for our son that I wrote an e-petition about it. Please take a look – http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/14435 – and sign it if you agree. Even better, pass it on to friends, family and colleagues and get them to sign.
It’s now passed the 1000 signature mark so can at least now be considered a serious petition. It is currently 11th most signed petition covered by the Department of Education, and on page 7 of 431 overall, but won’t go much further unless it manages to break out of “adoption world” and reach the general public who won’t have a clue what adoption support is or what LAC means.
So, if you could do a bit of educating along the way, that would be best of all!
I’m meeting my local MP to discuss this in a few weeks. He’s already brought it to the attention of Tim Loughton within the Dept of Education. It’s great that adoption has become a talked-about subject, and adoption from care rather than celebrities looking overseas for beautiful orphans, but we all need to make sure that the whole system improves, and that means adoption support too.
Philip
October 28, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Thanks Phil – I’m pleased to say that I am one of your 1000+ signatories 🙂 I’ll post the link on facebook and twitter – if there’s anything else I can do, please get in touch (fiona@adoptresources.co.uk).
Fi
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adoptresources
October 29, 2011 at 10:03 pm