ADCS responds to the SoS’s speech on adoption

Responding to the Secretary of State’s speech on adoption Jenny Coles, ADCS President, said:

“Finding loving, stable homes for children who cannot live with their birth families is a priority for all local authorities, and councils continue to support adoption where it is the right option. Over recent years, we have made good progress in terms of timeliness of placements however it remains that some children continue to wait longer than others. We need more people from all walks of life who want to adopt to come forward if we are to meet the diverse needs of the children who are currently waiting; those children who often wait the longest for adoptive families are older, sibling groups, and from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

“We can’t be complacent when it comes to making what are complex and life changing decisions on behalf of the children in our care, therefore, it is right that there is a rigorous and thorough assessment and approval process for adopters, one that ensures vulnerable children don’t face further trauma and loss. If an ethnic match with potential adopters is considered to be the right thing for a child, then it should be pursued.

“While the national focus continues to be on adoption, it remains the placement choice for a small number of children in care. ADCS members are committed to encouraging a widening of the debate about adoption to fully recognise the value of all forms of permanence for the children in our care, many children get the stability and love they need in foster care, residential care, kinship care or special guardianship arrangements, for example. Above all else, it is important that the needs and best interests of each individual child always remains at the heart of decision making.”

ENDS

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