Adoption scorecard

 

New figures show that adoption services in Cheshire East are improving, with more children being successfully placed with families year on year.

The national adoption scorecard shows that in the last year 23 children were successfully adopted, compared to 19 the previous year and 16 the year before that.

This year, another 16 children have been adopted so far and it is expected that 30 children will have been adopted by March next year.

The scorecard recently published by the Department for Education does not take account of 11 children who were adopted by their foster carers between 2009 and end of March 2012.

There are currently 26 children waiting to be placed with adoptive families.

Progress is also being made to tackle the average wait for children to be placed with adoptive families since coming into the Council’s care.

Last year, children in Cheshire East were in care for an average of 719 days before being adopted, this was down from 747 days the year before.

However, for the 16 children adopted so far this year, the average wait has come down to 602 days.

Councillor Rachel Bailey, Cabinet member in charge of children and families, said: “These figures are good news and they show that we are moving in the right direction. More children are being placed with loving families in a shorter period of time.

“We recognise that we need to reduce further the time it takes for children in our care to be adopted, and we are taking action across a number of areas.

“We are also optimistic that the changes brought about by the recent Family Justice Review will assist councils in this respect”.

The scorecard recently published by the Department for Education does not take account of 11 children who were adopted by their foster carers between 2009 and end of March 2012.

Cheshire East Council is committed to ensuring that those children with a plan of adoption are placed in adoptive families which can enable vulnerable children to realise their full potential and become successful in their own adult lives.

The Council is  currently looking for 20 adoptive families: some of the children are in sibling groups.