Publication of ‘Children Adopted from Care in NI 2016/17’

Date published: 16 November 2017

This bulletin details statistical information relating to children adopted from care in, during the year ending 31 March 2017. The tables within the bulletin present a range of information about these children and their adopters, including durations between different stages in the adoption process. The bulletin is based on the DoH statistical return AD1 2016/17, which was collected from each of the five Health and Social Care Trusts.

Key Findings

• 120 children were adopted from care during the year ending 31 March 2017, the highest number in recent years
• the average age of children at the time of adoption was 4 years 5 months, the same as the previous year
• from the child’s last entry into care, the average length of time for a child to be adopted in 2016/17 was 3 years. This was one month longer than in 2015/16
• for children adopted in 2016/17, the average duration from the Trust LAC¹ best Interest Proposal to Adoption Order was 2 years 4 months, one month longer than in 2015/16
• Children adopted by Concurrent Carers² were substantially younger at the time of adoption (2 years 8 months compared with the national average of 4 years and 5 months). They also had a shorter last duration in care (2 years 3 months compared with 3 years)

[1] LAC – Looked After Child

[2] Description of Concurrent Carers and other type of carers/adopters can be found in Chapter 6 of the publication