An Action Plan for Adoption: Tackling Delay explains the changes the Government will be making to speed up the adoption system in England. Adoption is one of the Government’s top priorities. Ministers want to create a more effective and user-friendly adoption system - a system which is truly fit for purpose. They are determined to ensure that adoption is available for children where this is in their best interests, and they want it to happen without undue delay. The action plan sets out a range of proposals to speed up the process for children; to overhaul the service for prospective adopters; and to strengthen local accountability for the timeliness of adoption services.
Last December, ministers set up an expert working group comprising key partners from across the adoption sector to help redesign and speed up the process from initial enquiry through to assessment, with a view to moving swiftly to a position where we have a pool of approved adoptive parents who are able to meet the needs of the children awaiting adoption. The working group has developed a set of reform proposals which build on existing best practice, and a revised assessment form which the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) will pilot with the sector over the coming months.
A summary of the working group's proposals, which include a national gateway to adoption and a new shorter two-stage approval process, is included in An Action Plan for Adoption: Tackling Delay along with the Government's response. Links to the action plan, the working group's full report and the revised assessment form are in the associated resources section.
BAAF's revised assessment form is also available to download.
