‘Worrying decline’ in families approved to adopt a child

3 August 2026

There has been a “worrying decline” in families approved to adopt a child, a charity has warned.

The government has consulted on adoption support services and says it will lay out its plans for improvements. File pic© Other

The latest data, from April to December 2025, showed 3,010 children in England were waiting to be matched with an adoptive family – half of whom had been waiting 18 months or longer since going into care.

Over the same period, there were only 1,350 approved adoptive families waiting to be matched with a child.

Coram, which was the UK’s first dedicated children’s charity, described the gap as “deeply concerning”.

It said its own research suggests almost one in four (23%) people are prepared to consider adopting, highlighting “the huge potential pool of adopters” and work that needs to be done to encourage them to do it.

Chief executive Carol Homden said adoption “provides strong stability and positive outcomes and brings joy to many families” and called for more support for those considering taking on a child.

The Department for Education said it was preparing to set out plans for the improvement of adoption services.

“In the meantime, we have increased the funding we make available for specialist therapies where children might have experienced trauma or abuse through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund,” it added.

It comes on what is the 100th anniversary of the Adoption of Children Act 1926, which introduced a legal process by which the rights and responsibilities for a child could be transferred from birth parents to adoptive parents.