A rise in adoption figures
According to official figures released today there was a 9.8% increase in the number of adoptions in England and Wales in 2012.
A total of 5,206 children were adopted, compared with 4,740 in 2011, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Hannah Dobbin, Policy Manager at Action for Children comments on the adoption figures:
“We're pleased to see that more children are finding permanent, loving homes across England and Wales. We now need to build on this, and keep focused on finding the best possible placement for each and every child. This is especially the case for children that can be harder to place, who we work with, such older children and sibling groups.
“With the Government's commitment to invest an extra £16million to help the 4,000 children in care who are currently waiting for an adoptive family, and the clear recognition that more needs to help children waiting for new homes, we need to see more innovative approaches to ensuring that children are placed with families that can meet their individual needs and can offer them the stability they need.
“We would also encourage more people to consider adoption, as they have the opportunity to transform the life of someone who would really benefit from a caring family home.”
