NSPCC response to government plans announced today on adoption and fostering

The Prime Minister called today for the country "to become more pro-adotion". He revealed that the Government will begin publishing league tables ranking all councils in the UK on their ability to place a vulneable child with a family within 12 months.

Mr Cameron called for a "culture change" during the launch of the Give a Child a Home campaign. His comments come following figures released in September showing that just 60 children under a year old were adopted last year, even though over 3,600 babies were in care.   

Tom Rahilly, Strategy & Development Lead for Looked After Children at the NSPCC, said:

“The NSPCC welcomes the Government’s increased focus on children in care and its drive to improve adoption. Adoption provides a supportive, loving home for some of our most vulnerable children but improvements to the adoption process are clearly needed. It’s right that local authorities are held to account for how they support children in care and we look forward to the Government’s Green Paper proposals. 

“But whilst we welcome any improvements to the system of adoption, it’s vitally important we remember that most children in care, for various reasons, do not get adopted and instead remain in care or are returned to their families. Recent figures showed around just five per cent of those in care being adopted. This should increase, but it is also clear that we need to do more to improve the support for the majority who are not adopted. The Government should take further action to overcome the effects of abuse or neglect, including improving the provision of mental health care and emotional support. Action is also needed to address the scandalous rates of re-abuse of children who are returned home after being removed from their families.”