Adoption Action Plan

 I have recently raised the issue of adoption in Parliament and was shocked by the low number of looked after children who are eligible for adoption successfully being adopted in Kent in recent years.

In 2007 just 90 looked after children in Kent were adopted, by 2011 this number had fallen to just 60.  Additionally in Kent in 2011 the decision was made for 45 children that they should be placed for adoptions.  Of these, 20 children were placed for adoption but none were actually adopted that year. 

This is why I am supportive of the recent announcement of an Adoption Action Plan with key measures to make the adoption process more efficient and prevent unnecessary delays.  Local authorities will be required to reduce delays in all cases and will not be able to delay an adoption for the perfect match.  In addition to this if a match has not been found locally within three months of a child being recommended for adoption, then that child will have to be refer to the national Adoption Register so they can find a match in a wider pool of prospective adopters.

We all want children to have suitable adoptive parents and there must always be a careful process in place to ensure the interests of the child remain paramount. It does seem though that unnecessary obstacles have prevented perfectly suitable parents from adopting a child and giving them the loving home they need.

Adoption is undoubtedly a complex process and needs to be, to ensure that the appropriate checks and matches are being made.  However we should not have an overly bureaucratic system which prevents looked after children being adopted when there are suitable families waiting.  I hope that these measures will result in an increase in the number of adoptions taking place and will give a greater number of looked after children the opportunity for a stable family life.