Date: 13 November 2006 20:09

SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR ADOPTED CHILDREN

A total of 26 children in Cambridgeshire were adopted last year, according 
to the latest figures from the County Council's Adoption and Fostering Team.

All these placements were achieved within 12 months, beating the 
Government's target of 95%, while 22 of the 26 were placed within 6 months.

The figures were presented to a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council's 
Cabinet
The authority has been particularly successful in placing very young 
children with adoptive families - 9 children under the age of 18 months last 
year - indicating clear planning at an early stage of children's lives. 
Research indicates that the younger a child is at the point of placement, 
the greater the likelihood there is of a successful adoption.

A notable achievement was that all siblings were placed in families 
together. Of the 26 placements, 14 were in sibling groups - four groups of 
two children and two groups of three.

Large sibling groups lead to challenges in recruiting suitable adoptive 
families and providing them with the support they require to care for groups 
of children who are likely to have suffered trauma in their lives.

The number of adoption disruptions - where the placement has not been 
successful - has continued to be relatively small. Just one placement in 
2005-06 was disrupted - well below the national average.

There were 16 children for whom permanent fostering was decided as being in 
their best interests, of whom 12 were aged 8 and over. The spread of 
children needing permanent care was evenly distributed throughout the 
county.

Objectives for the Adoption and Fostering Team for 2006-07 include improving 
the recruitment of adopters and permanent carers, and continuing to develop 
recruitment and support carers for children with a particularly high level 
of need.

Coun Jill Tuck, Cabinet Member for Inclusion, said: "The Adoption and 
Fostering Team has made considerable achievements this year - particularly 
in the areas of placements completed within 12 months and the proportion of 
siblings placed together. But we have agreed challenging objectives for the 
next 12 months, to provide the very best for children needing adoption, and 
I am confident the hard work and dedication will continue."

John Reynolds