New statistics reveal record proportion of adoptions by LGBT+ people in 2018.
1 in 8 adoptions in England in 2018 were to same-sex couples, statistics released November 15 show. The new figures from the Department for Education reveal that of the 3,820 adoptions in England this year, 450 – 1 in 8, or 12 per cent – were to same-sex couples. This is the highest proportion in England since records began.
The total number of adoptions has fallen by almost 30 per cent since 2015, despite the number of children in local authority care reaching a ten-year high of 75,420. However, the number of adoptions by same-sex couples has remained over 400 each year since 2015.
Tor Docherty, Chief Executive of New Family Social, said: “LGBT+ people can bring fantastic parenting skills to their adopted children. We’re thrilled to see agencies consistently recognising that LGBT+ people pay a key role in helping transform the lives of our most vulnerable children.”
In 2017, New Family Social – the peer support charity for LGBT+ adopters and foster carers – trained some 200 adoption social workers as part of a Department for Education funded project to improve LGBT+ people’s experiences of applying to adopt, going through the process and parenting as adopters.
For more information on adopting or fostering if your LGBT+, click here:
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