News and Views

Charities express disappointment at results of polls on social attitudes

Two polls released for National Adoption Week have shown worrying results about attitudes to adopting boys and opposition to gay and single people adopting.

The poll commissioned by charity and adoption agency Action for Children (formerly NCH) suggested adoption by single people or gay couples is opposed by more than one out of three people.

Adoption Manager Susan Cotton said: "These findings are shocking and disappointing. We accept adoption applications from people from all walks of life.

"We don't discriminate based on gender, sexuality or relationship status, but rather we judge on the ability to provide safe, secure and permanent homes to vulnerable children.

"Families in the 21st Century come in all shapes and sizes. We have successfully placed children with both gay couples and single people. We know it works."

The poll found:

·         13 per cent of people were likely to consider adopting a child

·         15 per cent think that unmarried couples should not adopt

·         30 per cent think single women should not be allowed to adopt

·         43 per cent think single men should not be allowed to adopt

·         40 per cent think male gay couples should not be allowed to adopt

·         36 per cent think female gay couples should not be allowed to adopt

Ms Cotton said the most important thing to consider when looking at placing a child was how best to meet that child’s needs.

She added: "It is the child that matters, not the relationship status of potential parents. Our worry is that people won't come forward and adopt because of the opinions of others."

A further poll, also conducted by ICM, was commissioned by the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF).

It revealed that nearly half of the people in the UK think boys are perceived as being more trouble and harder to parent.

BAAF Chief Executive David Holmes said: “Too often, anti-social behaviour, violence, crime and gangs are associated in our minds when we think about boys. We all need to remember that boys are children and young people first.

The results show:

• Nearly half (49 per cent) of those polled believe there is a general perception that boys are more trouble and harder to parent than girls
• Nearly a quarter of men (24 per cent) and more than one in five women (21 per cent) think boys are more trouble and difficult to parent
• Around one in five women would prefer to adopt a girl
• Over half (53 per cent) feel the media portrays boys in an overly negative way