A charity is ringing the alarm on England’s adoption system, highlighting a pressing need for transformation. Adoption UK believes the current system is leaving adopted children and their families in the lurch. Their recent survey reveals that over 75% of adoptive parents struggle to find support once a child joins their family. Moreover, many adult adoptees express frustration over the lack of information about their early lives.
The charity argues that unaddressed issues from challenging childhoods only become more complex over time. Emily Frith, the charity’s chief executive, emphasises that adoption isn’t a fairy-tale ending. Instead, it marks the start of a lifelong journey for children who have experienced trauma and loss. Unfortunately, the support these children need often dwindles as they grow older, leaving many adoptees feeling abandoned.
Adoption UK is urgently calling for a new national adoption strategy, which includes better support plans for adoptees and enhanced training for health and education professionals to understand their unique needs. This call to action is against a backdrop where the gap between the number of prospective adopters and children needing adoption is widening. Better support, the charity argues, could encourage more people to consider adoption.
While the Department for Education is investing in initiatives like regional adoption agencies and crisis services, Adoption UK insists more needs to be done to ensure adoptees have the support they need throughout their lives.
The conversation is not just about improving adoption processes but ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive in a loving, supportive environment. Let’s push for an adoption system that provides lifelong support, helping every adopter and adoptee navigate their unique journeys. #AdoptionSupport #LifelongJourney #ChildrensRights