Over the last five years there has been a big national policy focus on securing an increase in adoption numbers for looked after children. This policy has centred around improved timeliness, revised performance targets and the development of new ‘Regional Adoption Agencies' to drive greater collaboration between voluntary adoption agencies and local authorities.

Adoption is often a great outcome for vulnerable children and of course means they no longer remain looked-after children (LAC), instead becoming a part of a new family themselves. As well as driving great outcomes for children, it also supports local authorities in reducing their overall numbers of LAC.