Across the UK, a coalition of adoption agencies has joined forces to take part in a new awareness campaign supported by the Department for Education to encourage adoption beyond the traditional adoption idea.
But what does the #YouCanAdopt campaign aim to achieve?
- To dispel myths over who can adopt and clearly explain the adoption process;
- To target potential parents from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, as these children traditionally wait longer to be matched with a family;
- To encourage potential adoptive parents to consider adopting older children, sibling groups and those with complex health needs or a disability.
According to some statistics, the adoption situation in the UK is as follows:
- More than 3,000 children waiting for adoption across the UK — adoptions in England have declined by a third over the last four years, according to the government.
- A 14% increase in enquiries has been reported since early April, and because of considerable delays to court processes due to Covid-19, there will be many more children who will need adopting this autumn, according to Adopt Thames Valley adoption agency.
- A 24% increase in people with enquiries from March to August, compared with the same period last year, stated the Coram Ambitious for Adopting.
- 43% of adults had considered adoption or would consider adoption in the future, but of these, 56% do not feel they know much about the adoption process, reported by a survey carried out by Birmingham Children’s Trust in the West Midlands.
- About 70% of people over the age of 50 think they would be either ineligible to adopt or were unsure if they were eligible to adopt. 44% said single people would be either ineligible to adopt or were unsure if they were eligible to adopt. And 37% said the same about people who identify as LGBTQ+, reported #YouCanAdopt and the DfE.
As initiators of the campaign say, the future of many children depends on adults exploring adoption and taking the first step to become an adoptive parent. Misunderstandings and outdated views need to be addressed to encourage adoption, including those concerning the ethnic background, age or marital status of the potential adoptive parent, and also of adopting older children, siblings and children with complex health needs.
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