These children are waiting – why are you?

A group of Voluntary Adoption Agencies from across the UK have joined forces to encourage potential adopters to come forward for the children who wait the longest. 

Brothers and sisters who need to stay together, children aged 4 and over, children with additional needs, and children of a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and religions wait the longest for adoptive families.

According to the most recently published data, as of 30 September 2020:

• There were 2,030 children with a placement order who were waiting for an adoptive family – 1,050 of whom had been in care for 18 months or more

• Of the 2,030 children waiting, 1,320 of them were aged 5 or over, had a disability, were from a Black or minority ethnic background, or had siblings – that’s 65%, or a large majority, of all children waiting to be adopted

• Of those 1,320 children, 800 of them had been in care for 18 months or longer

In other words, the majority of children waiting to be adopted have been waiting for far too long.

Furthermore, 2 out of every 5 children waiting for an adoptive family has both been in care for 18 months or more, and also has at least one specific placement need. They are either ‘too old’, or need to be placed with their siblings, or have a disability, or come from a diverse background and need adopters who can embrace, celebrate, and support their heritage.

VAAs are now asking, “These children are waiting – why are you?” 

VAAs have a wealth of experience in adoption and offer friendly, outstanding services to support potential adopters through the adoption process and beyond. You can read more here about why you should consider adopting through a VAA.

If you have considered adoption, we ask you to consider this group of children and how they too deserve a family they can call their own.

Join us on social media and spread the word! #AdopterChoice #VoluntaryAdoptionAgencies #ChildrenWhoWait #YouCanAdopt

Participating VAAs:

• Adoption Focus – Birmingham, the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties
• Adoption Matters – North of England, parts of Wales, Stoke, Stafford, Shropshire and the Isle of Man
• ARC Adoption NE – North East
• Birmingham Children’s Trust – Birmingham and surrounding areas (up to 60 miles)
• Caritas Care – North West including Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria and parts of Yorkshire, as well as parts of Scotland including the Dumfries area
• Coram – London and East Midlands
• Families for Children –  the South West of England including Devon, Dorset, Cornwall & Somerset
• Intercountry Adoption Centre – all of England
• PACT – London and the South East
• SSAFA – all of England
• St Francis’ Children’s Society – Milton Keynes and surrounding areas (up to 50 miles), including Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, and parts of Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
• St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society – all of Scotland
• Yorkshire Adoption Agency – Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Humberside, most of Lincolnshire and some areas in Manchester