Adoption
Adoption is about meeting the needs of children, not meeting the
needs of adults who wish to adopt.
Recently we have seen the introduction of much new legislation
to govern Adoption Practice. We now have National Minimum Standards
for Adoption as well as the Adoption and Children Act 2002, which
is gradually being phased in. There is also procedural guidance for
the provision of Post Adoption Support and for Inter Country
Adoption.
Adoption has changed markedly over the past 30 years. In 1970,
20,000 children were placed for Adoption. The majority of these
were babies. Thirty years later as society's views and attitudes
have changed this figure has decreased greatly. In 1999, 2,200
children were placed for adoption. Over the past 4 years, however,
this figure has grown due to greater acknowledgement of the role
adoption can play in making permanent plans for children. Although
the number of children adopted has dropped in the past 30 years the
number of children adopted from care has grown.
Frequently asked questions
Information for prospective adoptors
Information for birth parents
For further information, you can view our adoption
leaflets and adoption
DfES
guidance, or
contact the Social Care Customer Access Team.
Inspections
View Sefton's Adoption Inspection
Report which took place in January 2008. 
(Pdf
257kb)
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Last Updated on 11/19/2009