UK

Kingston children waiting 18 months to be adopted

Children on the path to adoption are waiting nearly a year-and-a-half to be placed with adoptive families in Kingston.

But the figures still place Kingston Council’s performance well below the Government target.

The first adoption scorecard for English councils was published last week, in which it was revealed children in Kingston wait an average of 536 days to be adopted ahead of the 639 target set for this year.

That is longer than the new minimum standards ordered by Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, who has said every child in care should be placed in a family within 14 months.

Only 6 per cent of children in Kingston are waiting longer than 21 months, placing the council as the best performing in the country for that measure.

Councillor Patricia Bamford, lead member for children and young people services, said: “Thanks to the dedicated effort of our professional team, working together with parents and carers, we succeed in achieving very high standards and the best outcomes for local children and young people.

“We are delighted that our adoption service has performed so well in the Government’s test.”

The number of children in care in Kingston increased from 80 in 2007 to 115 in 2011 with 15 of the children accompanied asylum seekers.

Of the 70 children who stopped being looked after for the year ending March 2011, five were adopted.

David Lindsell and Tom Barnes
19 May 2012

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/kingstonnews/9713246.Children_waiting_18_months_to_be_adopted/

 

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