Publication of “Children Adopted from Care in Northern Ireland 2025/26”
Date published:
The Department of Health has today published the “Children Adopted from Care in Northern Ireland 2025/26”. This bulletin details statistical information relating to children adopted from care during the year ending 31 March 2026.
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 2025/26, which was collected from each of the five Health and Social Care Trusts.
Key Findings
- During the year ending 31 March 2026, 90 children were adopted from care in Northern Ireland;
- The average age of children at the time of adoption was at 3 years 10 months, and ranged from 1 year 4 months to 7 years 11 months;
- From the child’s last entry into care, the average length of time for a child to be adopted in 2025/26 was 3 years 1 month. This was marginally less than in previous years;
- For children adopted in 2025/26, 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 2 months; and
- In 2025/26, the timing for foster carers who went on to adopt their foster child has remained higher than those adopted through other routes. The timing for this type of adoption has consistently been longer than for other adopter types, which is expected due to the different circumstances of these adoptions.
Notes to editors:
- This publication is available online at: www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/children-adopted-care.
- A statistical release of the Children Adopted from Care in Northern Ireland is published on a yearly basis.
- Statistics detailed within the publication were sourced from the Departmental AD1 statistical return, collected from Health and Social Services Trusts and relating to the period 01 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. This statistical bulletin was produced by Community Information Branch, DoH.
- Similar statistics relating to the year 2026/27 are due for release in September 2027.
- Further information is available from: Community Information Branch, Information Analysis Directorate, Department of Health, Room 11, Annexe 2, Castle Buildings, Stormont Belfast BT4 3SQ. E-mail: cib@health-ni.gov.uk, Internet: DoH Statistics and Research Social Services Statistics link.
- For media queries, please contact the DoH Press Office by email: pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk
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