Plans to Merge Adoption Services

Alison O’Sullivan, President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, said:

“We’ve been working with the government, with voluntary adoption agencies, with the courts over the past several years now to try and improve the process and improve the ability to find families for children as quickly as possible.

“It’s crucial that local areas are free to put in place the best arrangements to suit local needs, there are examples of local reform in this area that are working very well. Such as the WWISH Adoption Service which brings together the adoption work of St Helens, Warrington and Wigan councils. We welcome the commitment from government to provide practical and financial support to help each local area to work out the best way forward.

“Nationally, the Adoption Register and initiatives such as Adoption Activity Days allow local councils access to a bigger pool of adopters to reduce the time children are waiting in care – particularly those considered ‘harder to place’ e.g. older children or sibling groups who are often waiting the longest.

“There’s been a lot of progress made but there is much to do. And we think that combining efforts across local authorities is a welcome development. Our members are committed to ensuring a strong focus on adoption and other forms of permanence to give children secure and loving homes.”

ENDS

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) Ltd is the professional leadership association for Directors of Children’s Services and their senior management teams in England.

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