New £48m-backed strategy to smoothen adoption process, benefit ethnic minorities

FAMILIES across England looking to adopt will receive better support as the government on Monday (26) launched a national strategy to reduce the waiting time as well as encourage the adoption of children in need, older children and those from ethnic minority groups.

Under the new plans, no one from any social background, ethnicity or sexuality will be deterred from pursuing adoption, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

Backed by a £48 million investment, ministers hope to ensure better recruitment, tackle delays, provide more training for frontline staff, improve the approval process and fund targeted recruitment campaigns.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “There is no substitute for a loving, permanent family. A stable family unit is key to boosting life chances and there are so many adoptive parents across the country who have opened their homes and hearts to some of our most vulnerable children, often with very challenging backgrounds.

“We are committed to improving adoption services, as well as breaking down barriers so thatparents from all walks of life can adopt and to ensure they are not deterred from adopting simply because of their background.”

An “adoptive dad” and chair of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board, Krish Kandiah, urged people from a variety of backgrounds to step up and be the parents that children in care need.

“This new strategy gives us an opportunity as a nation to make sure every child, whatever their colour, age, abilities or gender, knows the love of a forever family,” Kandiah said.

An additional £1 million will also go to Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) leaders to improve recruitment and the adopter approval process.

Under the new strategy, £46m will be used to continue post-adoption help for families through the Adoption Support Fund for family support sessions, cognitive therapy, and activities to help children recover from earlier trauma, helping them settle into their new families and homes.

Recruitment under the new strategy will focus on matching prospective adopters, from any community, with children and young people and will ensure adopters are not deterred from pursuing adoption because of their background.

The government has also developed more than 30 Regional Adoption Agencies where children are matched with adopters as quickly as possible and help to ensure support services are available nationwide.