County’s adoption waiting times among nation’s shortest
The council is rated among the best performing authorities on three key measures linked to the time taken for children in care to move in with adoptive families.
Key measures
Between 2012 and 2015, 73 per cent of Oxfordshire children waited less than 16 months between entering care and moving in with their adoptive family - the third highest figure out of 149 authorities across the country.
The council was sixth best for the average time taken between a child entering care and moving in with its adoptive family, and recorded the 15th shortest average time between receiving court authority to place a child and matching them with a family.
Great result
The council has a dedicated team whose job it is to find the right families for children, and in recent years has been working successfully with partner agencies, including other councils, to broaden the reach for potential adoptive families.
Service manager for adoption Teresa Rogers said: “This is a great result which demonstrates the dedication of staff to finding permanent homes for the children who need them most, and to working with children and families to see the adoption process through successfully. It also reflects the strength of the community in choosing adoption and providing loving homes for some of our most vulnerable children.
“Adoption is a complex process which necessarily takes time – especially in terms of finding the right families for children. We always strive to minimise the time a child has to wait to start their new life as part of a loving family, as we know this improves a child’s life chances and can lead to the best possible outcome for families.”
Find out more
If you would like to find out more about adoption or becoming an adopter, visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/adoption or call 0800 7835724.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-scorecards