Adoption rates rise slowly

Despite the government’s drive on adoption, latest
official figures reveal that the number of adoptions increased by
just one per cent last year.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were
5,131 adoptions in England and Wales in 2001, an increase of just
49 adoptions on the previous year.

While adoptions of children under five rose by 7 per cent from
2,367 in 2000 to 2,532 in 2001, adoptions of older children fell by
4.5 per cent from 2714 in 2000 to 2598 in 2001.