Adoption wait above the national average

[Alison J Stevens]

Adoption wait above the national average

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Leicester Mercury

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Children in Leicester wait longer than the national average to move in with adoptive parents.

The average time taken in the city between a child entering care and them being adopted – after the case has passed through the family court system – is 640 days, a study found, compared with a national average of 625 days.

The city figure – for 2009 to 2011 – was one day over the Government target of 21 months, or 639 days.

The Government released tables for the first time yesterday, to show which local authorities were meeting its guidelines.

Children's minister Tim Loughton said the figures were meant to be a "trigger for urgent, detailed discussions'' to speed up the process.

Suzanne Lavelle, of Leicester, adopted a three-year-old, Jessica, with her partner. The process took about two years.

She said: "We had to jump through hoops to adopt her but we saw the process as necessary to weed out those who may not have been as serious about adoption.

"It's a delicate situation and there are individual circumstances to take into account.

"It's difficult to see how the whole thing could be speeded up, other than in the courts."

The city council did meet a Government guideline of matching a child to a family within seven months – or 214 days – of receiving a decision from the family court.

In Leicester, the average number of days was 146.

Rachel Dickinson, council strategic director for children's services, said: "Locally, the family court process takes too long.

"This is outside our control and is the reason why the threshold of placing a child for adoption within 21 months of entering care has not been met.

"Once the court has made a decision, we act quickly."

Councillor Vi Dempster, the council's spokeswoman for children's services, said: "The data is incomplete and misleading and in danger of being counterproductive, undermining our efforts to place children with the family that can best meet their needs.

"We have a good track record in homing children quickly once the courts have made a decision."

Leicestershire County Council met both thresholds, with an average of 590 days between entering care and adoption and 110 days of matching a child following a court order.

Councillor Ivan Ould said: "I'm pleased the scorecard shows the steps we've taken to speed up adoption are on the right track.

A council spokeswoman said: "Ofsted identified in a recent survey that significant delays are created in the family court process.

"Local authorities will have to work really closely with the justice system."

No one was available to comment from Leicester County Court, which covers adoption cases.

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Adoption-wait-national-averag...