Lack of matches for adoption register

Just 5 per cent of the children put forward for possible adoption
by the National Adoption Register have been successfully adopted,
its first annual report has revealed.

The report, published this week, shows that while 600 children and
prospective parents were linked in the register’s first full year,
only 30 progressed through to adoption.

Since being set up 20 months ago, the register, run for the
Department of Health and Welsh assembly by charity Norwood, has
been criticised for not making enough matches given its
£633,000 annual funding.

The register currently has 2,300 children who have been identified
as appropriate for adoption and 2,200 prospective adopters placed
on it. All council adoption agencies feed details of children and
adopters into the register after six months.

Ruth Fasht, Norwood’s director, called its first year’s development
successful, and said its role was to make links with agencies who
were responsible for making matches.

Meanwhile, health minister Jacqui Smith launched regulations on
intercountry adoption so that from 1 June prospective adopters of
overseas children will have to go through the same procedures as
those involved in UK adoptions. 

– The Adoption Register Annual Report
www.doh.gov.uk/adoption/register-annrep-may03.pdf