Harrow Council has become the first local authority in the UK to hand over management of its adoption service to an outside agency.
Voluntary adoption agency Coram Family will take over the process of placing children awaiting adoption and aims to cut delays in finding permanent homes.
Harrow missed its adoption target in 2005-6, placing just seven children, and has found placements for only three in 2006-7.
The council’s portfolio holder for children's services, Janet Mote, said it had struggled with the recruitment of qualified staff and "that simply isn’t fair on the children".
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