26/09/2013

Govt Statistics Show 15% Increase In Adoption

The government's latest statistics on adoption show a 15% increase compared with the year before, a record rise according to ministers.

The figures show that 3,980 children were adopted between April 2012 and March 2013, up from 3,470 for the same period the previous year.

The increase represents the highest number of adoptions since records began in 1992.

The government have been focusing attention on increasing the number of adoptions. As part of this, councils are now rated in league tables, which show how many children are in care and how many have been adopted in each council area.

While widely welcomed some notes of caution have been raised over the governments adoption drive, with some saying that other solutions, such as children being looked after by its wider family group, should not be overlooked.

The latest government figures also show a steady increase in the number of children taken into care. As of March this year, some 68,110 children are in care in England, an increase of 2% for the same period the year previous.

(MH/JP)

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