Publication of “Children Adopted from Care in Northern Ireland 2019/20”

Date published: 15 October 2020

This bulletin details statistical information relating to children adopted from care during the year ending 31 March 2020. 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 2019/20, which was collected from each of the five Health and Social Care Trusts.

Key Findings

• One-hundred-and-eleven children were adopted from care in Northern Ireland during the year ending 31 March 2020;
• The average age of children at the time of adoption was 4 years 2 months, one month younger compared to the previous year;
• From the child’s last entry into care, the average length of time for a child to be adopted in 2019/20 was 3 years 1 month. This was the same as in the previous year;
• For children adopted in 2019/20, the average duration from the HSC Trust proposal that adoption was in the best interest for the child (the Looked After Child Best Interest Proposal) to the Adoption Order was 2 years 3 months, the same as in 2018/19;
• In 2019/20, children adopted by Concurrent Carers[1] were substantially younger at the time of adoption (3 years 4 months compared with the national average of 4 years and 2 months). They also had a shorter last duration in care (2 years 7 months compared with the national average of 3 years 1 month).