Rachael Wardell OBE, President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, said:
“Providing children in our care with stable, loving homes and appropriately meeting their needs is a priority for local authorities.
“Adoption can be the right thing for some children, but it’s not suitable for every child. Also, the direction of travel in terms of government policy and frontline practice is to keep more children with their families, which could be a factor in this latest set of data.
“There are also long delays in the family courts, which a select committee recently commented upon, and which might be a factor in this slowdown in final orders being seen. For children for whom adoption is right, these delays need to be tackled so they can be assured of their loving home.”
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The Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) Ltd is the professional leadership association for Directors of Children's Services and their senior management teams in England.