Adoption plans ‘are reckless gamble’

Town hall leaders admitted there are things “we could do better” when it comes to finding new homes for children but insisted the coalition’s overhaul could make the problem worse. The Local Government Association (LGA) warned earlier this year that plans to strip councils of responsibility for adoption if they are slow to find children new families could be damaging to vulnerable youngsters.

Councils have now submitted alternative plans to the Government that they claim will “significantly increase” the number of adopters recruited, speed up the time it takes to find new homes for children and increase co-operation between councils to find suitable matches for youngsters and prospective parents in different parts of the country.

The LGA along with the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services also want a reduction in adoption red tape.