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Adoption: Kent

Answer

The information requested for Medway local authority can be found in the table. Information at constituency level is not available.The decision that a looked after child should be placed for adoption is made by their local authority but the local authority cannot actually place the child with prospective adopters without either a placement order or parental consent (depending on the individual circumstances of the case).Information about the decision that a child should be placed for adoption has only been collected for all looked after children, for whom a decision was made, since 2009. Previously, this information was collectedonly for children who had been adopted. Consequently, the number of children waiting for adoption can be provided only for the last three years.

Looked after children for whom the decision was made that they should be placed for adoption while placed in foster care, who were then placed for adoption, adopted, had the decision that they should be placed for adoption reversed or who were still waiting to be adopted at 31 March¹,²,³,4, years ending 31 March 2009 to 2011, coverage: Medway Towns
Number
		Year in which the child was placed for adoption, adopted, for whom the decision was reversed or was waiting to be adopted
		2009	2010	2011
Year in which the decision was made that the child should be placed for adoption	No. of children in foster care for whom the decision was made that they should be placed for adoption	No. of children placed for adoption	No. of children adopted	No. for whom the decision was reversed	No. at 31 March awaiting adoption5	No. of children placed for adoption	No. of children adopted	No. for whom the decision was reversed	No. at 31 March awaiting adoption5	No. of children placed for adoption	No. of children adopted	No. for whom the decision was reversed	No. at 31 March awaiting adoption5
2009	15	*	0	0	15	10	5	0	10	*	5	*	*
2010	25	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	10	*	0	25	5	10	0	15
2011	25	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	*	0	0	25
* = Figures not shown in order to protect confidentiality.
n/a = Not applicable.
¹ Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5. For confidentiality purposes, numbers from one to five inclusive have been replaced by an asterisk (*). Where any number is shown as zero (0), the original figure submitted was zero (0). Consequently, the figures may not add up.
² Only children looked after in a foster care placement when the decision was made that they should be placed for adoption have been counted.
³ For children living with the family intending to adopt them (i.e. placed for adoption), it is for the prospective adopters to apply to court for an adoption order.
4 Children waiting to be placed for adoption may either be waiting for a placement order to be made by the court or be in the process of being matched with prospective adopters.
5 The number of children at 31 March awaiting adoption is calculated as the total number of children in foster care for whom the decision was made that they should be placed for adoption, minus the total number of children who were adopted or for whom the decision was reversed. The number includes children who have been placed for adoption, but for whom an adoption order has not yet been made, as well as children who have not yet been placed.
Source:
SSDA 903

Information on adopted children can be found in the Statistical First Release 'Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011', which is available on the Department's website via the following link:"http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001026/index.shtml"

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

103037; 543 c326-8W

Session

2010-12

Subjects

Adoption Foster care Kent

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk