Every child deserves a loving home, and every parent deserves the right to raise their own child, regardless of any disabilities they may have. Unfortunately, the current procedures surrounding child protection services and foster care systems can result in the unfair removal of children from single parents with disabilities. This practice not only disrupts the family unit but also undervalues the capability of disabled parents.

Research shows that disabled parents face a much higher risk of losing custody of their children compared to non-disabled parents. According to the National Council on Disability, between 40% to 80% of parents with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities lose custody of their children. This statistic reflects systemic biases rather than the abilities or intentions of these parents.

A major challenge faced by disabled parents is the lack of adequate support and resources from social services, which might lead to unwarranted interventions by child protective services. Instead of encouraging and providing necessary support to these parents, the system often opts for separation, which may not be in the best interest of the child or the parent.

We urge social care services, policymakers, and child protective services to reevaluate these unfair practices and work towards creating a more equitable system. By developing comprehensive support programs that are tailored to the unique needs of disabled parents, we can ensure that every family has the opportunity to thrive together. Social services should prioritize family preservation and provide the necessary tools and resources for parents to succeed, promoting a positive environment for both parent and child.

This call to action is crucial and urgent. Let's work together to stop the unnecessary breaking of families and support a more inclusive childcare system. Sign this petition to demand change before the end of next month, ensuring that all single disabled parents have a fair chance to raise their children in a loving home environment. Stand with us in making a difference today and familys helps us to get this put to a stop many thanks .just think we need to chance the systems  how they work socila workers don't really want to work with people like learning difficulties or disabilities and I think this is wrong and shouldn't go on parents  passed please sign it  and let's get this all put to a stop ASAP because all social care children want is money in there pockets this is why uk essex and everywhere is in crisis  because of thesee people taking our children of us for no reason at all stop holding stuff against  people and stop making false allegations  against  familys and single parents  please get government  sign this ASAP and get our votes up we need to put a stop to all this with social care children in essex uk and USA for people who go thought the same stuff with them they don't wanna work with us so we are taking this stand and we stand tall and proud of our work  

Children waiting for their new family ….  
The following case studies show children to whom you could become a parent. They will hopefully give you an
idea of the different ages, backgrounds and needs of children; and not least of all, a sense of their little
personalities.
When you are first looking at becoming a parent through adoption, you may not know which children you can
envisage parenting. The majority of children waiting to be adopted are aged between 18 months and 8 years.
There are single children, as well as brothers and sisters. All children have individual and varying needs.
The main aim of the adoption application process is to get to know you and your household really well, so we can
make the best family matches. These case study profiles are to kick start your thought processes about children
you can picture being part of your family.
We work with you, using discussion tools, to look at the best matches between you and children coming forward
for adoption. We will ask questions like, could you consider a sibling group? Could you envisage parenting a
child with partial deafness, or a child who experienced a negative start in life? There are many boxes and their
are many discussions you will have. No one likes to put children ‘in a box’, but these are tools to get us all
thinking towards the best family matches. You will learn and develop your knowledge of adoption and more
about yourself as a parent; so once you tick a box, it does not mean you can’t untick it in the future. These
conversations are never comfortable, but we ask you to be true to yourself , so we can work together to find the
right child or children for you.
Please ask us any questions and let us know if you have any thoughts along the way. The team are here to
support children, parents and families whenever they are needed.
 There are children on thesee adoptions registered waiting years this is so wrong g they should be home with the birth familys already 
 If you were an unwanted or unplanned child with a horrible life because of it, do you wish your parents made a choice not to have or to put you up for adoption?If you were an unwanted or unplanned child with a horrible life because of it, do you wish your parents made a choice not to have or to put you up for adoption? But quora digest adoption stories  on here and there horrible from children If you were an unwanted or unplanned child with a horrible life because of it, do you wish your parents made a choice not to have or to put you up for adoption I didn't want to be adopted  out I wanted my birth family  by mist this is my name and thank u to the the ladies who shared my stories on here I was abused  in my adoption home many thank donna for letting me write this on here and send it to u  please all put a stop to thezee happening to other familys and children @chris.philp.official and pam Cox all please sign this hopefully we can all get this done before next month because it's will stop all the children staying in limbo there have said there is no placements available  and everyone is pulling.out please help us get this done and save our children and the family deserve  to have there children home not just waiting on a list and children will complex needs anit going to get. Aplacements for a longer time they have said it can take years and children what don't deserve  to be in the systems  let's help and get orders revoked before next month come on people sign it and share please these family like our self's amd myself need this I am sick of this social workers sayk g we can't look after our children when we know we can I have heard some stories about adoption familys and it breaks my heart with what se children are coming out with it's sick and nasty and they do t deserve  that to happen to them in the care of social workers  and social care children in uk essex and USA anz other country's we need to be all these people to a stop  its not fair on what the systems  do to disabled  family and one's who has learning needs revoking orders will help the government  and the systems  to get sorted out and its helps the familys to  I think its about time the government  start listening to the familys not the social  care children services  and loyal councils  in essex uk England they hear our voices inside of social services  and other country's and counties  speak out not social services  or local  authorities  and stop separation  all together from birth familys and there birth children get the adoption services  to get our children who are in there out of it and give them back to familys unfair removal  and social workers need to look in to stuff before taking children off people the promble we have here is they lie to family courts about familys put  a stop to essex country council and all other esssex councils and other councils  in uk and USA put a stop to all this once and for all please sign and share people and more votes share it with your lyal governments to and get them to sign start petitions out side government  Houses to get a stop to all these things what we want to get put to a stop and stop family court siding with social care children in eseex country councils and them lot and let them give familys a chance at home qith there children without sociao services  as they lie about familys and some story I have ready about adoption kids being abused and thjbsg like that by the adoption familys in uk and USA and everywhere u read and things what happen to children in the care systems  its wrong and they need to come home to us as parents who love our children and can care for them all social services  do it for is the check at end of it and I thinks the family courts needs to listen to familys and not take layol councils sides like they do revoke all orders on all familys asap please help and sign this we need to get 5,000 this many signings and share and promote  these petition  to get more people involved to help us getting this put to a stop before the bringing of next month people please help me do this and if we put this to a stop before the end of next month we will be saving familys like our self's and our children for this falling systems and the family court are falling familys and children get the family courts to revoke orders from now till next month we need there helps to put this to a stop once and for all stop unfair child removal  and stop adoption and Foster care homes and stop picking on disabled  familys and some who have learning needs it dont stop anyone from being a parent so stop picking on us 
 Barnardo's research and experience show that children and young people leaving the care system in the UK face homelessness due to a lack of safe, suitable, and affordable accommodation. The organization highlights that the limited availability of housing, combined with financial vulnerability, often forces young people into unsuitable and unsafe living conditions or leaves them with nowhere to go, underscoring the need for better support and housing solutions from the government. 

Why Young People Are Homeless After Leaving Care

Lack of Suitable Housing:

There is a severe shortage of safe and appropriate places for young people to live when they leave care. 

Financial Instability:

Care leavers often lack the financial support that other young people receive from their families, making it hard to afford housing and increasing their risk of homelessness. 

Unsafe Living Conditions:

Instead of appropriate housing, many care leavers are placed in unsuitable environments, such as homes with extreme mold, damp, or that expose them to drug abuse and antisocial behavior. 

Insufficient Support:

Young people leaving care often experience a sudden drop in support, and they struggle with independent living, managing their finances, and feeling lonely and isolated. 

Barnardo's Response

Reporting on Experiences:

Barnardo's conducts and publishes reports, such as "No Place Like Home," which detail the experiences of young people leaving care to raise awareness and advocate for change. 

Providing Direct Support:

The charity offers various forms of support, including accommodation in places like their Gap Homes projects, which provide affordable housing and support for care leavers. 

Advocating for Policy Change:

Barnardo's urges the government to increase funding and implement support packages to help care-experienced young people transition successfully into independent adult life. 

Key Statistics and Challenges

High Risk of Homelessness:

A significant number of care leavers become homeless shortly after leaving care, with one in three care leavers aged 19-21 having experienced homelessness. 

Impact of Cost of Living Crisis:

The rising cost of living has disproportionately affected care leavers, who have no family support to fall back on, leading to increased financial hardship.  Please help us getting our children home once and for all and some adoption anit being done legally please sign and share and promote  this petition  and get government  involved  to help us put these people to a stop some children what go in foster care and adoption familys are being abused go on x and it's will say how some children feel very unsafe pleas help us put this to a stop now and revoke care orders and placements orders on family Yes, there is a significant crisis in children's social care in the UK as of mid-2025, with widespread shortages in placements, a decline in new adopters, and adoption and placement agencies struggling with the consequences. Factors contributing to this include a severe lack of suitable foster placements, a significant drop in inquiries from prospective adopters, high costs for placements, and a need for better support for families. 

Key Issues in 2025:

Adopter Shortage:

There is a growing shortfall of adopter families, with figures from July 2025 showing a 750 family deficit and a rise in children waiting over a year for an adoptive placement. 

Placement Scarcity:

A severe shortage of suitable placements for children in care is making the system strained, leading to more children being placed outside their local authority and further from home. 

Cost of Living Crisis:

The cost of living crisis is a major factor, with many prospective parents unable to afford to adopt, leading to a significant drop in adoption inquiries. 

Under-resourced Agencies:

Regional Adoption Agencies and placement teams are struggling to secure enough foster carers and adopters, leading to a focus on filling foster carer roles over adopter recruitment. 

Adopter Strain:

Adopters are under immense strain due to challenges in accessing vital post-adoption support and therapy, with some families struggling to secure the help needed for their adopted children. 

Factors Contributing to the Crisis:

Workforce Issues:

Low pay, poor prestige, and working conditions lead to workers being exploited and underpaid, contributing to recruitment and retention problems in the sector. 

Market Dysfunction:

The market is not meeting the needs of children and families, with high costs for placements and providers making high profits, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). 

Lack of Post-Adoption Support:

There are ongoing concerns about the adequacy of support for adoptive families, with a particular need for robust, timely therapeutic support for adopted children, according to Adoption UK. 

Government Measures:

The government is introducing measures, including funding for children's social care reform and provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to address market imbalances, profit levels, and regulation of placements. 

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Prospective parents are no longer queuing up to adopt children in care

May 24, 2025 — A major part of the answer is instead likely to be the cost of living crisis. Fewer can afford to consider a

Photo: zimmytws/Adobe Stock

The shortage of adopters in England has continued to grow leaving more children facing long waits to be placed, official figures have shown.

 

There was a shortfall of 750 adopter families as of March 2025, an almost threefold increase in a year, according to the latest cut of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Quarterly Data Collection.

 

Over the same period, the number of children with a placement order (PO) waiting to be placed grew by 13%, with a 55% rise in the number waiting over a year with a PO, reported charity Coram-i, which produces the data for the Department for Education (DfE).

 

Adoption England, the national body that supports regional adoption agencies (RAAs), said the lack of adopters was a “big concern” and that the number coming forward had been in decline since the Covid pandemic, but added that it was something it was striving to address.

 

More adoption orders, fewer placement orders

The data showed that 3% more adoption orders – which confer parental responsibility on adoptive parents – were made in 2024-25 (3,070) than 2023-24 (2,980).

 

At the same time, the number of POs – through which the family court authorises a council to place a child for adoption – fell by 4% from 3,360 in 2023-24 to 3,210 in 2024-25.

 

However, despite these trends, the number of children with a PO waiting to be placed with adoptive parents increased for the third consecutive year, to 2,910 in March 2025, up 13% on the figure a year earlier (2,580).

 

Sharp rise in children facing longest waits

There was an even sharper rise in the number of children with POs facing long waits. As of March 2025:

 

790 children had been waiting to be placed for at least a year since the grant of their PO, up 55% on the March 2024 figure.

390 children had been waiting to be placed for at least 18 months since the grant of their PO, up 63% on the March 2024 number.

Three-quarters of those waiting at least 12 months (590) had “harder to place” characteristics, meaning they were aged over five, had a disability, were part of a sibling group or were from an ethnic minority (other than white minorities).

 

This proportion was a slight drop on the figure 12 months previously (76%), though the share of children waiting at least 18 months with a POwho had harder to place characteristics increased, from 79% to 82%.

 

Falls in number of children matched and placed

The increasing waits for children reflect significant falls in the numbers matched or placed with adoptive families in 2024-25.

 

During the year, 2,740 children were matched, down 8% on 2023-24, while 2,740 were placed, a decrease of 7% on the year before.

 

This, in turn, reflects a fall in the supply of adopters.

 

Reduction in supply of adopters 

While the numbers of adopters registered (3,240) and approved (2,230) during 2024-25 were broadly static year on year, the number of approved adopter families waiting to be matched (1,510) by the year end was down 16% on the year before.

 

Coram-i said there were 1,870 children for whom active family finding was taking place, for whom 1,440 adopter families were needed. However, there were just 690 adopter families involved in family finding, leaving a shortfall of 750 as of March 2025.

 

The equivalent figure for March 2024 was 265.

 

Sufficiency of adopters ‘is big concern’

In response to the figures, Adoption England’s national adoption strategic lead, Sarah Johal, said: “Sufficiency of adopters is a big concern and remains a key priority for us and adoption agencies.

 

“The number of people coming forward to adopt has been in decline since the Covid pandemic, and we know that the impact of the ongoing rise in cost of living and other societal factors are contributing to this.”

 

One of the objectives of Adoption England’s 2024-27 strategy is to ensure that “adopters from diverse communities are recruited, prepared and supported to meet children’s needs”.

 

Among actions taken during 2024-25 was launching national adopter journey practice standards, which Adoption England said was designed to “standardise the adopter experience, ensuring fairness and quality throughout the process”.

 

Understanding hesitancy among prospective adopters

Of £8.8m in funding Adoption England has received from the DfE for 2025-26, £1m is for adopter recruitment with a further £1.5m to support matching, with children’s minister Janet Daby highlighting both as key priorities for the organisation.

 

Johal added: “We have very recently undertaken research to better understand hesitancy, particularly for those who are already considering adoption but haven’t yet taken the step, and will be applying the learning from this.

 

“We are also doing a lot of work to improve the adopter journey, right from a prospective adopter’s very first contact with an agency, all the way through to a child moving in with adopters.

 

“We would encourage anyone considering adoption to visit our recruitment website www.youcanadopt.co.uk where they can find lots of helpful information and details of local agencies to talk to.”

 

adoption, social care statistics

 

7 Responses to Adopter shortage continues to grow leaving more children facing long waits to be placed, figures show

Emma Evans July 30, 2025 at 1:50 pm #

As an adopter myself, I feel very conflicted with this issue. As on the one hand, I am passionate about how transformative adoption can be for some of the most vulnerable children in society. However, adoption can only be transformative to severely traumatised children, with sufficient, specialist support. This support is required long after the children are placed with adopters and long after the Adoption Order is signed. Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, the reason for the huge shortfall in adopters, is largely due to the fact there is barely any support for adoptive families. Even when my family were in crisis, no one would help us. I had to battle the Local Authority and SEND team on and off for years in order to get both of our children a place at a therapeutic, specialist school. The issue is that once the Adoption Order is signed, all help disappears. With the recent cuts to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support fund, I imagine the number of people choosing to adopt will decrease even further. Parenting severely traumatised children is impossible without sufficient, specialist support. Recruiting more adopters without tackling the lack of meaningful post adoption support, is simply setting even more families upto fail.

 

Rebecca Jaworska August 2, 2025 at 10:51 am #

As an adopter I also feel that the landscape around support will be impacting significantly on the numbers coming forward to adopt. The high levels and complexity of need among adopted children are now better understood and documented. The general failings that are the current landscape in SEN provision, health care, CAMHS etc hit this group hard. The ASGSF provided some security that assessment and support for adopted children and young people would be available to those starting out on their adoption journey. With the significant cuts in funding available this year, (reduction in fair access limit from £5000 to £3000 and no separate funding for assessment,) and a lack of commitment to the continuation of the fund past March 2026, it isn’t suprising that there is hesitancy among those considering adoption. They need reassurance that timely, specialist support will be available. A solution has to be government committing to the ASGSF in the long term and a restoration of previous fair access limits with increases in line with inflation.

 

LJ Barnes August 4, 2025 at 1:22 pm #

My husband and I have both been forced to step back from work, him into early retirement due to stress-related autoimmune disease, me into reduced hours, just to cope with the relentless challenges of parenting adopted children carrying profound developmental trauma. When we adopted, we were promised therapeutic support through the ASGSF. That fund has since been slashed by 60%, with assessments now completely removed. We were assured robust SEN support; it simply isn’t there. If there’s one devastating lesson from our adoption journey, it’s that we’ve been profoundly misled. Officials have broken promises and shattered our trust; it’s an awful, lonely place to be.

 

I recently spoke to a couple considering adoption who asked me ‘what it’s really like’. When I explained the painful reality, that we were promised help but have instead faced funding cuts and been left isolated, exhausted and financially strained, they were genuinely shocked. ‘There must be more support than that,’ they said. I laughed bitterly, because we’ve searched everywhere and found nothing. If anything, the government is dismantling that support brick by brick, leaving families like ours to bear the emotional, practical and financial cost alone. Adoption Poverty is a thing that nobody is talking about.

 

Unless this crisis in post-adoption support is urgently addressed, more families will break, and vulnerable children will pay the heaviest price. Why would anyone come forward to adopt?

 

P.S. There’s more research being done into the high prevalence of autoimmune diseases in the adoption community and adoption poverty. I wish you’d do articles on this.

 

Sandra Georgeson August 5, 2025 at 6:53 pm #

As an adoption support agency I am not surprised by this drop in adopters given the uncertainty around the support adopters will receive in the future and the current reduction in the fair access limit. I also hear from families that they have different support from different local authorities, with some being really proactive in offering adopters pathways to support and others being less helpful. In my experience the best packages of support transition the child from foster care to adoption. This allows for the opportunity to assess the child’s therapeutic and attachment needs to put the correct therapy in place prior to adoption. It also allows the adopters to receive informed support from the start instead of waiting for crisis. I’m very lucky with our local authority Barnsley, as they support these transition packages and have seen the benefits for children and their adoptive parents. If more packages were in place from the start it may help attract adopters. The current climate is sadly creating a very unstable environment for adoption, which in turn leaves our most vulnerable children without permanency or a sense of safety.

 

M Etchels August 9, 2025 at 12:24 pm #

I totally concur with all of the above comments. As adoptive parents we have long felt that more support (not less!) is needed for families such as ours, and that was before, out of the blue, the Government decided in its wisdom to make cuts to the ASGSF, so now we have less support than before. Our children are amazing, but they have suffered trauma and have a number of diagnoses. My husband now has a number of long term health issues directly attributable to stress we have been under for many years. If anyone asks us about adoption, we now warn them of the challenges we’ve faced and the continual fight for support. Prospective adopters need to go into adoption with their eyes wide open, and also to understand there is a chance that one of them may need to give up their job permanently due to their child’s needs. When we heard of the cuts to the ASGSF, along with the shock of realising our son’s therapy would directly be affected (along with a reduction in regular sessions, to date he has not had any therapy since March 2025 due to the Government’s delay in confirming any funding, and now due to the backlog in applications), our next thought was the impact this would have on recruiting future adopters.

 

James Mutton August 9, 2025 at 3:59 pm #

“..We are also doing a lot of work to improve the adopter journey, right from a prospective adopter’s very first contact with an agency, all the way through to a child moving in with adopters.”

…and then, the strong implication being, you’re on your own forever.

They’d rather talk about anything other than genuine adoption support.

 

I’m not conflicted about this at all.

Falling adoption numbers are the only thing that will bring about change.

 

Adopting. That tallies with reports from agencies tha...most children from adoption familya are turning about to the care systems  in uk essex England and Wales so please all sign and share and promote  this ASAP 

 

The Observer

Yes, there is a significant crisis in children's social care in the UK as of mid-2025, with widespread shortages in placements, a decline in new adopters, and adoption and placement agencies struggling with the consequences. Factors contributing to this include a severe lack of suitable foster placements, a significant drop in inquiries from prospective adopters, high costs for placements, and a need for better support for families. 

Key Issues in 2025:

Adopter Shortage:

There is a growing shortfall of adopter families, with figures from July 2025 showing a 750 family deficit and a rise in children waiting over a year for an adoptive placement. 

Placement Scarcity:

A severe shortage of suitable placements for children in care is making the system strained, leading to more children being placed outside their local authority and further from home. 

Cost of Living Crisis:

The cost of living crisis is a major factor, with many prospective parents unable to afford to adopt, leading to a significant drop in adoption inquiries. 

Under-resourced Agencies:

Regional Adoption Agencies and placement teams are struggling to secure enough foster carers and adopters, leading to a focus on filling foster carer roles over adopter recruitment. 

Adopter Strain:

Adopters are under immense strain due to challenges in accessing vital post-adoption support and therapy, with some families struggling to secure the help needed for their adopted children. 

Factors Contributing to the Crisis:

Workforce Issues:

Low pay, poor prestige, and working conditions lead to workers being exploited and underpaid, contributing to recruitment and retention problems in the sector. 

Market Dysfunction:

The market is not meeting the needs of children and families, with high costs for placements and providers making high profits, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). 

Lack of Post-Adoption Support:

There are ongoing concerns about the adequacy of support for adoptive families, with a particular need for robust, timely therapeutic support for adopted children, according to Adoption UK. 

Government Measures:

The government is introducing measures, including funding for children's social care reform and provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to address market imbalances, profit levels, and regulation of placements. 

All the children from adoption familys in uk essex England and Wales and all other the country's are turning back to the care systems  please help and sign these and share this quickly even family courts don't tell help peiole to get there children back they like to make your life harder just like councils The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on the Government to ensure all councils receive sufficient funding to invest long-term into family help, child protection, child in care and care leaver services, after a study found that a failure to support children with complex needs is driving high care costs.

 

The research, carried out by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), warns that the challenge of meeting the “increasing complexity” of children’s needs, along with a lack of appropriate homes for children and young people, is leading to an escalation in very high-cost placements.  

 

The study highlights a range of factors leading to increasing complexity of need, from the impact of the pandemic and historic cuts to early help, to rising levels of complex autism, mental health challenges and high instances of self-harm. 

 

It claims that with children coming into care later and at a “greater point in crisis than ever before”, opportunities to intervene earlier are being missed, from Sure Start-style family support to special educational needs provision and mental health support.

 

According to the LGA, the number of children’s home placements costing £10,000 or more per week – the equivalent of over £0.5 million per year – increased from 120 to 1,500 between 2018 and 2023.

 

Alongside “sufficient funding” for local authorities in the Spending Review, the LGA has called on the Government to develop a cross-government strategy for children, young people and families, “to ensure all partners are working towards a shared ambition”. 

 

Cllr Arooj Shah, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “With more children needing help with increasingly complex and challenging needs, what is most important is ensuring they get the best care and support. However in many cases, a lack of choice means provision is not fully meeting children’s needs.  

 

“The astronomical costs of care placements mean there is less money available for councils to spend on the earlier help children so desperately need.  

 

“As local partners we have key roles to play, and the Government can drive this from the top. By integrating planning and funding across departments and using the forthcoming Spending Review to make sure services have the resources they need, we can make sure children receive the care they deserve.”

 

Caroline Coady, Deputy Director at NCB, said: “The research makes clear that there are complex and intersectional factors driving high-cost placements. However, we heard from providers, local authorities and other stakeholders that an important part of the solution is relational commissioning. This includes strong relationships and open communication channels between local authorities and providers, with senior leaders taking an active role in developing these partnerships. 

 

“Children and young people should be able to expect high standards of quality that ensure they are safe and cared for. To achieve this, it is vital we create clear and accessible opportunities for young people to share their views and experiences, with confidence that they will be listened to and acted upon.”

 

The Department for Education has been approached for comment.

 

Lottie Winson
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/21/funding-cuts-had-devastating-effect-on-adopted-children-uk-charities-say

More adoptions likely to fail in England amid funding cuts, warn charities

This article is more than 3 months old

Adoption UK says families at breaking point and cuts to support fund are ‘morally and economically nonsensical’

 

‘It broke my heart’: the adopters forced to return their child to care

Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent

Wed 21 May 2025 16.11 BST

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A growing number of adopted children are at risk of returning to the care system as funding cuts and lack of support pushes England’s families into crisis, charities have warned.

 

Adoption UK said cuts to funding were already having a “devastating” effect on children who have been adopted, describing them as “morally and economically nonsensical”.

 

 

“We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of families call our helpline or come along to events to express their concerns. I’ve worked in adoption now for nearly 10 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Alison Woodhead, the director of public affairs and communications at the charity.

 

“People have been saying they’re worried their children will commit suicide – families are at breaking point, and without support they’re worried that the family might not be able to stay together, that children will end up back in the care system.”

 

In April, the government announced a 40% cut in the amount available for each child from the annual £50m adoption and special guardianship support fund – money sent to local authorities and regional adoption agencies to provide therapy for adopted children.

 

Woodhead said it was a “crucial pot of money that has been transformational in lots of children’s lives” and the cuts would have a huge impact.

 

“It is both morally and economically nonsensical because these children who desperately need the support will cost more further down the track if they don’t get it,” Woodhead said.

 

 

“Adopted children are already massively overrepresented in criminal justice statistics, in not in education, employment or training statistics, do worse in school than their peers. It’s just setting the children up to fail further and symbolic of a general sense that adopted children are being let down.”

 

She also said the cuts could worsen the decline in adoptive parents in the country – from 2013 to 2023, the number of families approved to adopt in England decreased by almost 60%.

 

“The government is spending quite a lot of money on a recruitment campaign to try to get prospective adopters. But if the bigger picture is that you adopt a child, you don’t get support, and then your child ends up back in the care system, that’s not a very enticing prospect. So they’re also shooting themselves in the foot.”

 

The charity’s annual adoption barometer showed 38% of adoptive families were facing severe challenges or reaching crisis point in 2023, a rise from 22% in 2022.

 

The number of children who left their family prematurely (for example, to return to the care system or to live in assisted accommodation) was 7% that year, up from 3% in 2021, and the charity is expecting numbers to rise.

 

Tracy Beaumont, from Ridley & Hall solicitors’ adoption legal centre, said they were being inundated by calls from families across the country in “absolute crisis”, and seeking legal advice on returning their child to the care of their local authority.

 

“Many of the parents, unfortunately, they’ve tried everything. They’ve tried to get the support and the help, they’ve done absolutely everything, and they’re just at a point of crisis as a family,” she said.

 

Silhouette of a person sitting with head in hand by window

‘Time running out’ for UK to apologise over forced adoptions

Read more

She advises people on how to apply, through section 20 of the Children Act 1989, for the local authority to accommodate a child in need, a process which she says is “extremely traumatic” for those involved and a “last resort”. It can then lead to court proceedings for a care order.

 

“A lot of my clients think that it could have been prevented but obviously local authorities have limited resources anyway, and then the government have just cut the adoption support fund. They need the right support at the right time,” she said. “The parents are really traumatised by the whole experience, and then the poor children at the heart of this end up back in care.”

 

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We know how important this support is to families – and through our plan for change, we’re committed to ensuring adopted and kinship families continue to receive the help they need to thrive.

 

“We are investing £50m for the adoption and special guardianship support fund to continue for another year with children still being able to access £3,000 in therapy support each year.

 

“The decisions we have taken will ensure the fund is financially sustainable to allow more vulnerable children to access targeted support.”

 

Explore more on these topics

Adoption

Children

Labour

news

Share

Reuse this content

More on this story

 

Ministers urged to digitise adoption records to help reunite families

4 Sept 2025

 

‘It broke my heart’: the adopters forced to return their child to care after struggling alone

21 May 2025

 

Gordon Brown calls for apologies over forced adoptions in England and Wales

20 Aug 2025

 

UK government under pressure to formally apologise for forced adoption

25 Apr 2023

 

Hundreds of UK women demand formal apology for forced adoptions

26 May 2021

 

Children with brothers and sisters overlooked for adoption

22 Apr 2021

 

Why are adoption numbers falling, when there are so many children in need?

10 Mar 2021

…

comments

 

Adopting older children can be the start of a special bond

27 Feb 2021

 

‘Adoption has been a journey from ignorance to enlightenment’

7 Feb 2021

 

A quarter of adopted UK children affected by drinking during pregnancy

28 Sept 2020

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Under pressure, undeterred

More adoptions likely to fail in England amid funding cuts, warn charities
This article is more than 3 months old
Adoption UK says families at breaking point and cuts to support fund are ‘morally and economically nonsensical’

‘It broke my heart’: the adopters forced to return their child to care
 
Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent
Wed 21 May 2025 16.11 BST
Share 
 
A growing number of adopted children are at risk of returning to the care system as funding cuts and lack of support pushes England’s families into crisis, charities have warned.

Adoption UK said cuts to funding were already having a “devastating” effect on children who have been adopted, describing them as “morally and economically nonsensical”.

 
“We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of families call our helpline or come along to events to express their concerns. I’ve worked in adoption now for nearly 10 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Alison Woodhead, the director of public affairs and communications at the charity.

“People have been saying they’re worried their children will commit suicide – families are at breaking point, and without support they’re worried that the family might not be able to stay together, that children will end up back in the care system.”

In April, the government announced a 40% cut in the amount available for each child from the annual £50m adoption and special guardianship support fund – money sent to local authorities and regional adoption agencies to provide therapy for adopted children.

Woodhead said it was a “crucial pot of money that has been transformational in lots of children’s lives” and the cuts would have a huge impact.

“It is both morally and economically nonsensical because these children who desperately need the support will cost more further down the track if they don’t get it,” Woodhead said.

 
“Adopted children are already massively overrepresented in criminal justice statistics, in not in education, employment or training statistics, do worse in school than their peers. It’s just setting the children up to fail further and symbolic of a general sense that adopted children are being let down.”

She also said the cuts could worsen the decline in adoptive parents in the country – from 2013 to 2023, the number of families approved to adopt in England decreased by almost 60%.

“The government is spending quite a lot of money on a recruitment campaign to try to get prospective adopters. But if the bigger picture is that you adopt a child, you don’t get support, and then your child ends up back in the care system, that’s not a very enticing prospect. So they’re also shooting themselves in the foot.”

The charity’s annual adoption barometer showed 38% of adoptive families were facing severe challenges or reaching crisis point in 2023, a rise from 22% in 2022.

The number of children who left their family prematurely (for example, to return to the care system or to live in assisted accommodation) was 7% that year, up from 3% in 2021, and the charity is expecting numbers to rise.

Tracy Beaumont, from Ridley & Hall solicitors’ adoption legal centre, said they were being inundated by calls from families across the country in “absolute crisis”, and seeking legal advice on returning their child to the care of their local authority.

“Many of the parents, unfortunately, they’ve tried everything. They’ve tried to get the support and the help, they’ve done absolutely everything, and they’re just at a point of crisis as a family,” she said.

 
 
‘Time running out’ for UK to apologise over forced adoptions
Read more
She advises people on how to apply, through section 20 of the Children Act 1989, for the local authority to accommodate a child in need, a process which she says is “extremely traumatic” for those involved and a “last resort”. It can then lead to court proceedings for a care order.

“A lot of my clients think that it could have been prevented but obviously local authorities have limited resources anyway, and then the government have just cut the adoption support fund. They need the right support at the right time,” she said. “The parents are really traumatised by the whole experience, and then the poor children at the heart of this end up back in care.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We know how important this support is to families – and through our plan for change, we’re committed to ensuring adopted and kinship families continue to receive the help they need to thrive.

“We are investing £50m for the adoption and special guardianship support fund to continue for another year with children still being able to access £3,000 in therapy support each year.

“The decisions we have taken will ensure the fund is financially sustainable to allow more vulnerable children to access targeted support.”
Explore more on these topicsAdoption
Children
Labour
news
Share Reuse this content
 

More on this story
 
    
Ministers urged to digitise adoption records to help reunite families
4 Sept 2025
 
 
    
‘It broke my heart’: the adopters forced to return their child to care after struggling alone
21 May 2025
 
 
    
Gordon Brown calls for apologies over forced adoptions in England and Wales
20 Aug 2025
 
 
    
UK government under pressure to formally apologise for forced adoption
25 Apr 2023
 
 
    
Hundreds of UK women demand formal apology for forced adoptions
26 May 2021
 
 
    
Children with brothers and sisters overlooked for adoption
22 Apr 2021
 
 
    
Why are adoption numbers falling, when there are so many children in need?
10 Mar 2021 
…
comments
 
 
    
Adopting older children can be the start of a special bond
27 Feb 2021
 
 
    
‘Adoption has been a journey from ignorance to enlightenment’
7 Feb 2021
 
 
    
A quarter of adopted UK children affected by drinking during pregnancy
28 Sept 2020
 
 
 
Most viewed
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Under pressure, undeterred
 
Close
Continue

 

Close

ContinueThere are over 2,500 to 2,900 children waiting for adoption in England, with a shortage of adopters leaving more children facing longer waits for a permanent family. Most are under the age of five, often removed from their birth families due to neglect or abuse and may be part of a sibling group or have additional needs. These children require stable, caring homes from parents equipped with the patience and support to navigate their past traumas and build secure attachments. 

Demographics of Waiting Children

Age

: A significant majority of these children are under five years old. 

Siblings

: Many are part of sibling groups that need to be placed together. 

Ethnicities & Backgrounds

: Children come from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. 

Additional Needs

: Some children have disabilities or other special needs. 

Why Children Need Adoption

Traumatic Experiences

: Children in this position have often experienced neglect, abuse, and significant loss and separation from their birth families. 

Court Intervention

: They have been removed from their birth families by the courts because parents were unable to provide a stable and safe environment. 

Attachment Difficulties

: Due to unsettled and traumatic experiences, some children may find it more difficult to form healthy relationships. 

The Challenge

Adopter Shortage

: There is a growing shortage of adoptive parents in the UK, leading to longer waiting times for children. 

"Harder-to-Place" Children

: The proportion of children considered "harder to place" – including those with disabilities, black children, and sibling groups – has increased, as these children often wait longer for a permanent family. 

How to Help

Become an Adopter

: If you are able to offer a stable and caring home, you can find out more about the adoption process from adoption charities and agencies like Adoption Matters. 

Support Adoption Organizations

: Organizations like Home For Good and Adoption UK Charity work to find families for children and support them once placed. Based on available information as of April 2026, Essex County Council has faced increasing scrutiny regarding data protection, with recorded instances of compensation payouts and data security incidents. [1]
Data Breach Payouts and Incidents
Compensation: Essex County Council paid out a total of £15,000 in compensation for data breach claims between 2022 and 2024, including £3,500 in 2022/23 and £11,500 in 2023/24.
Data Breaches: The council reported 83 data breach incidents to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) over the three years leading up to April 2024, with 19 cases recorded between 2023 and March 2024.
Internal Incidents: In addition to reported breaches, the council logged 2,895 general cyber security incidents since 2021. A separate 2026 FOI response indicated 244 "security incidents" (such as misdirected emails) classified as minor or near-misses in Children’s Services between 2022 and 2025.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Court Orders and Legal Action
Anonymity Orders: The High Court has issued specific orders requiring the council to anonymize personal data in sensitive cases, such as in the 2024 case of DFX -v- Essex County Council.
Compensation Cases: Judicial findings have highlighted instances of unlawful deprivation of liberty, with one case resulting in a £60,000 damages award (not solely a data breach, but a case against the authority).
Security Concerns: Reports have highlighted that 33 of the council's mobile devices were lost in 2024 and were unencrypted. [1, 2, 3]
Contextual Information
While Essex County Council handles significant data, it has clarified that liability orders for Council Tax arrears are handled by local City, District, and Borough Councils, not the County Council.
The council works with various organizations and provides data to the court service as part of its legal duties Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming has historically raised concerns that up to 1,000 children a year are adopted in England for the "wrong" reasons. Hemming argued the threshold for taking children into care is too low and sometimes based on low-risk assessments,, often calling for a parliamentary inquiry into secret court decisions that lead to adoptions. [1]
Key details:
Concerns: Hemming argued that the child protection system is in "crisis" and accused courts of taking children into care when risks are not fully justified, such as disagreements over parenting styles or minor assessment failures.
Opposition: These claims were contested by figures like the government's adoption adviser at the time, who argued that adoption is a difficult process, and not something that happens frequently without serious cause.
Action: Hemming set up the organization "Justice for Families" to support parents fighting these decisions. [1]
These concerns formed part of a long-running debate in Parliament regarding the care system, adoption, and balancing child safety with familial rights. [1]

Children's care system broken, says council chief
  IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES
ByPhil ShepkaCambridgeshire political reporter
Published
8 February 2026
The chief of a council whose use of unregistered children's homes has contributed to a near £10m overspend has called the system "broken".

Last month a cross-party government spending watchdog found across England 800 vulnerable children were placed in illegal settings for an average of six months each last year.

Cambridgeshire County Council's chief executive Stephen Moir - whose authority can spend in excess of £20,000 a week on a single children's placement - said it uses a "very small number of unregulated" ones which are reviewed on a weekly basis.

A government spokesperson has previously said it had inherited a children's social care system "unable to meet the needs" of vulnerable children, but it was "taking action" to reform the sector.
Moir added: "We don't want to put any child in an unregulated placement, but we have to find a safe place for those individuals."

Such homes are not registered with or inspected by Ofsted - which is a criminal offence - but it can only issue warning letters to operators.

The Cambridgeshire authority's papers said its children's external placements budget was "forecasting a revised overspend of £9.4m".

"This is primarily driven by an increase in the number of young people requiring care, and limited availability of suitable and in county providers leading to higher numbers of young people in residential and unregistered placement," it said.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's full council meeting where the budget will be discussed, Moir said it "talks to Ofsted on an ongoing basis about the use of those placements".

"This is not unique for Cambridgeshire.
'Risk of harm'
"This is about a broken system in terms of children's residential care at a national level and this is about historic profiteering because governments previously have not stepped in to manage children's social care effectively."

He said some regulated settings will not accept children because of their complex needs, pointing to an "extreme case" where one child needed seven staff members on duty at the same time.

An Ofsted inspector said: "Too many children are being placed in unlawful settings, with insufficient oversight and where they're at risk of harm. The use of these placements must be stopped.

"At Ofsted, we are working hard to investigate unregistered providers and compel them to either register or close."

They added they were "hopeful" the measures in the upcoming Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill would allow them to act quicker.

Adoptive Parents Struggle With Children With Complex Needs
Adoption is often portrayed as a joyful culmination of a family’s hopes with a new beginning where love overcomes the troubles of the past, and for many families, that is exactly what happens. But there are a significant and growing number of adoptive parents for whom the picture is far more complicated. In homes across the country, parents are devotedly caring for children whose early life experiences of abuse, neglect, disruption and trauma have left them with profound emotional, behavioural and developmental needs, and some families are now reaching crisis point.