Revealed: Map that shows worst councils for adoption waiting times are Kensington and Chelsea and Wolverhampton where children wait for nearly three years for a new home
Massive inequalities in the amount of
time children have to wait to be adopted in neighbouring authorities
have been revealed by the Government.
Children in Kensington and Chelsea have to wait the longest to be adopted, with the average time taking nearly three years, according to Government figures.
Meanwhile, children in Wolverhampton and Lambeth, in London, on average have to wait for two-and-a-half years.
Maps published by the Department for Education reveal the alarming disparity for how long children on adoption lists had to wait, with some authorities taking double the time of their neighbour, according to information released today as the Government launched its new online service in a bid to support prospective adopters and tackle the backlog of cases.
'I want to encourage everyone thinking about adopting to take the first steps to offering a child the love and stability that they so desperately need.'
In March last year there were 4,600 children waiting to be adopted, but ministers have warned an extra 600 adopters are needed each year to keep up with the growing number of children waiting to be adopted.
A further 3,000 adopters are needed to tackle the backlog of children waiting for homes.
Research published today has revealed
a concentration of authorities in London - including Barnet, Haringey
and Hackney - and the North West of England - including Manchester,
Liverpool and Lancashire - where children waited between 692 and 1,082
days to move in with an adoptive family after entering care.
Children
in authorities in the West Midlands - including Birmingham and
Wolverhampton - and the South East of England - including Wiltshire and
North Somerset - waited a similar amount of time, along with the East
Riding of Yorkshire and Sunderland in the North East.
The research published by the Government today has suggested more than 4million people in England would consider adopting, but are held back by myths as well as barriers in the system.
Mr Timpson said it was hoped First4Adoption would make it easier for prospective adopters to find information.
He said: I want no prospective parent to be in any doubt that the government, and the whole system, are on their side.
'For too long families have been deterred by baffling, over wieldy and unduly slow processes, or by myths around the types of families sought.
'There are lots of children out there, who need families, all over the country.'
Carol Homden, chief executive of children’s charity Coram, which is jointly running First4Adoption with Coram Children’s Legal Centre and Adoption UK, said: 'We know that there are many people in England who would consider giving a loving home to a child waiting to be adopted and want clear information about the process.
'First4Adoption has been set up to provide a much-needed first point of contact for people interested in adopting.'
Children in Kensington and Chelsea have to wait the longest to be adopted, with the average time taking nearly three years, according to Government figures.
Meanwhile, children in Wolverhampton and Lambeth, in London, on average have to wait for two-and-a-half years.
Maps published by the Department for Education reveal the alarming disparity for how long children on adoption lists had to wait, with some authorities taking double the time of their neighbour, according to information released today as the Government launched its new online service in a bid to support prospective adopters and tackle the backlog of cases.
Enlarge
Edward Timpson, Minister for
Children and Families, said: 'Every child deserves a loving home, but
too many children are waiting too long.
Adoption: Maps published by the Government have
revealed the disparity in waiting times for children on adoption waiting
lists in neighbouring authorities
'I want to encourage everyone thinking about adopting to take the first steps to offering a child the love and stability that they so desperately need.'
In March last year there were 4,600 children waiting to be adopted, but ministers have warned an extra 600 adopters are needed each year to keep up with the growing number of children waiting to be adopted.
A further 3,000 adopters are needed to tackle the backlog of children waiting for homes.
Family: The maps have been released as the
Government launched its new online service to support prospective
adopters and tackle the backlog of cases (file picture)
South East: While there is a high concentration of high waiting times in London, other parts of the area fare better
London: A number of authorities in the capital had an average waiting time of 692 to 1,082 days
THE TEN COUNCILS WITH THE LONGEST AVERAGE TIME BETWEEN A CHILD ENTERING CARE AND MOVING IN WITH AN ADOPTIVE FAMILY (2009-12)
Kensington and Chelsea - 1,082 days
Wolverhampton - 936
Lambeth - 933
East Riding of Yorkshire - 885
Swindon - 881
Coventry - 869
Hackney - 868
Brent - 854
Waltham Forest - 847
Liverpool - 842
Wolverhampton - 936
Lambeth - 933
East Riding of Yorkshire - 885
Swindon - 881
Coventry - 869
Hackney - 868
Brent - 854
Waltham Forest - 847
Liverpool - 842
The research published by the Government today has suggested more than 4million people in England would consider adopting, but are held back by myths as well as barriers in the system.
Mr Timpson said it was hoped First4Adoption would make it easier for prospective adopters to find information.
He said: I want no prospective parent to be in any doubt that the government, and the whole system, are on their side.
'For too long families have been deterred by baffling, over wieldy and unduly slow processes, or by myths around the types of families sought.
'There are lots of children out there, who need families, all over the country.'
Carol Homden, chief executive of children’s charity Coram, which is jointly running First4Adoption with Coram Children’s Legal Centre and Adoption UK, said: 'We know that there are many people in England who would consider giving a loving home to a child waiting to be adopted and want clear information about the process.
'First4Adoption has been set up to provide a much-needed first point of contact for people interested in adopting.'
- For more information visit first4adoption.org.uk or contact the information line on 0300 222 0022.
North: Authorities in the North West and the North East were found to have long waiting times
North West: A number of authorities including
Salford, Wigan and Manchester had long waiting times, although others
including Bolton and Tameside had shorter times
North East: While North Yorkshire, Darlington
and South Tyneside had some of the best times in the country, Sunderland
was among the worst
West Midlands: Birmingham, Coventry and
Wolverhampton were all among the worst offenders, while Solihull and
Leicestershire performed better
West: Wiltshire and North Somerset had among the longest waiting times in the country
