Adoption

• 108 children were adopted from care during 2022/23, an increase of 21% from last year and an increase of 77% from 2021. The significant increase in the number of adoptions is likely to be linked to the impact of COVID-19 on services during 2020/21.⁸⁰
• In 2022/23 69% (n=75) of the children were adopted as a single child adoption, whereas 33% (n=33) were adopted as part of a sibling group. There has been a 47% increase in children adopted as a single child adoption and a 13% decrease of the number of children adopted as part of a sibling group since last year.⁸¹
• The average age of a child at adoption is 4 years and 4 months, two months younger than the previous year.⁸²
• Children wait on average 3 years and 7 months to be adopted, an increase of 3 months since last year.⁸³

Adoption

• 243 children were adopted from care in 2022/23, a decrease of 14% (n=283) from the previous year.⁶²
• The number of children adopted from care had been decreasing in recent years from a high of 385 children adopted during 2014-15.⁶³
• The average age of a child at adoption is 3 years and 5 months.⁶⁴
• In 2022, the average length of time for children from entry into care to adoption was 2 years and 6 months.⁶⁵

Adoption

• Of children who left care in 2022 5% went on to be adopted (n=193), a slight decrease since 2021 (6%) and 2012 (6%).⁴⁴
• In 2022, 181 children were placed with adoptive families, this is a 9% decrease since 2021.⁴⁵
• 49% of children who were approved for adoption were under the age of two.⁴⁶
• In 2022, 41% of children that were waiting to be adopted were part of a family group that services were trying to keep together.⁴⁷

Adoption

• In 2023, 2,960 children were adopted, a 2% decrease from 2022.²¹
• The average age of a child at adoption is 3 years and 5 months.²²
• In 2023, the average time between a child entering care and being placed for adoption was 1 year and 7 months, up from 1 year 6 months last year. It then takes a further 10 months (on average) for an adoption order to be granted and the adoption to be completed.²³
• As of October 2023, there were 2210 children waiting for adoption this is an decrease of 25% since 2022. 48% of these children have been waiting for 18 months or more, a 4% decrease from last year.²⁴
• In 2023, Children aged over 5, male, from an Ethnic Minority (excludes White minorities) background, with a disability and in a sibling group were more likely to be waiting with a PO and less likely to be adopted.²⁵