Meet the Team

Read profiles of key members of the Adoption UK team

Special Feature

Our weekly feature covers a huge range of adoption related topics. Take a look at the latest one now.

Campaigning

Find out about our latest lobbying and campaigning work

Position statements

Get Adoption UK’s view on some key issues in the adoption field.

Adoption Facts and Figures

This page gives some of the most recent available statistics and figures relating to adoption and the UK care system. Separate figures are provided for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Quick links to adoption figures for:

• England
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales

England

Looked after children

There were 67,050 children in local authority care in England on 31 March 2012 – a 2% increase from 2011. Of these:

• 55% were boys and 45% girls
• Most (62%) came to social service’s attention due to abuse or neglect
• 50,260 (75%) were in a foster placement
• 3,450 were adopted during the year a 12% increase from 2011

Adoptions

• The average age at adoption was 3 years and 8months
• 2% were aged under 1 year
• 74% were aged between 1 and 4
• 51% were boys and 49% girls
• 85% were of White origin, 10% of mixed origin,2% Asian or Asian British and 3% Black or Black British
• 72% were placed for adoption due to abuse or neglect, 12% due to familydysfunction, 6% because the birth family was in 'acute stress'

Adoption Register for England and Wales

A total of 351 children were matched between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012.

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM)

An independent body set up by the Department for Education and Skills, adoption applicants in England can apply to the IRM for a review of their adoption agency's determination not to approve them as adopters or to withdraw their approval. 

In the year 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, the IRM accepted 15 applications from adoption cases. 12 of these cases were heard at IRM panels and 6 (50%) were recommended as suitable to adopt or to continue to a full assessment.

Sources:

http://www.education.gov.uk/

http://www.adoptionregister.org.uk/ 

http://www.independentreviewmechanism.org.uk/ 

Northern Ireland

Looked after children

A total of 2,606 children were in the care of local authorities on 31 March 2010. Of these:

• 52% were boys and 48% were girls

Age

• 2% of children (78) looked after on 31 March 2010 were under 1 year old
• 17% (441) were aged between 1 and 4 years old 
• 30% (791) were aged between 5 and 11 years old
• 31% (811) were aged between 12 and 15 years old 
• 19% (485) were aged 16 and over 

Adoptions

Sources:

Scotland

Looked after children

A total of 16,171 children were in the care of local authorities on 31st July 2011, an increase of 2% since 31 July 2010.

Gender

54.3% (8,635) of the children looked after on 31 July 2010 were boys and 45.7% (7,527) were girls.

Ethnicity

• 91.1% (14,485) of the children looked after on 31 July 2010 were of white origin
• 1.5% (246) were of mixed ethnicity
• 0.6% (101) were Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British
• 0.5% (72) were Black, Black Scottish or Black British
• 0.3% (52) were from other ethnic groups
• 5.3% (850) were of unknown ethnic origin
• 0.5% (86) were of undisclosed ethnic origin

Age

• 2% (373) of the children looked after on 31st July 2010 were under 1 year old
• 19% (2,968) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 37% (5,897) were aged between 5 and 11 years old
• 32% (5,047) were aged between 12 and 15 years old
• 9% (1,423) were aged 16 or 17
• 1% (184) were aged between 19 and 21 years old

Adoptions

• 466 adoptions took place in 2010
• 326 children were adopted by non-relatives during 2010

Sources:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/

www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

Wales

Looked after children

Age

• 6% (335) of children looked after on 31 March 2012 were under 1 year old
• 21% (1,195) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 21% (1,220) were aged between 5 and 9 years old
• 37% (2,115) were aged between 10 and 15 years old
• 15% (860) were aged 16 and over

Ethnicity

• 93% (5,305) of children looked after on 31st March 2012 were white
• 3% (175) were of mixed racial background
• 1% (55) were Asian or Asian British
• 1% (45) were Black or Black British
• 1% (55) were from other ethnic groups
• 2% (90) were of unknown ethnic origin

Adoptions

245 children were adopted during the year ending 31 March 2012. 47% (115) were boys and 53% (130) were girls.

• *% (*) of children adopted were under 1 year old
• 76% (185) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 20% (50) were aged between 5 and 9 years old
• 2% (5) were aged between 10 and 15 years old
• *% (*) were aged 16 years and over

Sources:

http://www.statswales.wales.gov.uk/

Current media messages:

• Of the children placed for adoption in the UK last year, approximately 72 percent came from abusive or neglectful background. Many spend months or years in the care system. This unimaginably difficult and traumatic start to life can cause attachment, development and behavioural difficulties. These are the children that adoptive parents invite into their homes and try to parent. Traditional parenting techniques can be counter-productive or retraumatising. 
• Adopted children need a different kind of parenting.
• Adoptive parents come from all walks of life, and are perfectly normal people, but they face their children’s trauma head on, every day, showing courage, patience and love. Adoption UK provides a network of support to inform and empower these parents to make adoptions work. But there are no quick fixes, no magic wands. Adoptive parenting is hard, and as the Government has acknowledged - Adoptive parents are normal people doing an extraordinary job, and they need support. 
• At its worst, adoption can seem impossible, even traumatising for parents. But taking a child who has had the worst start in life, and giving them a future filled with love, understanding and support means that - Adopting a child is one of the most challenging and rewarding things you can do. Adopters need to be therapeutic parents for traumatised children.