Experts warn over high care rates and adoptions without parental consent

Experts are warning that the number of children taken into care before their first birthday has been rising for decades, and that most adoptions happen without the written consent of birth parents. New figures suggest 90% of birth parents whose children are adopted do not sign their consent. Just under half oppose the adoption and the court overrules their wishes. The rest are classed as unopposed, having typically been advised not to contest it because they are unlikely to succeed.

Some parents, campaigners and academics call this modern day forced adoption. They say parents do not agree and want to keep contact with their child. Even parents who accept they could not look after a child at that point find it particularly brutal that they will have no contact, or very little contact, until the child is 18.

The head of Adoption England, which works with adoption agencies, says she understands why some people use the term, but the modern context matters. She says most children adopted today have been through care proceedings and the family court. Adoption is a response to child protection, she says. She adds that adoption is evolving, that there are uncomfortable elements, and that she would welcome debate and discussion.

A project in Salford is trying to prevent more children from going into care. Strengthening Families supports pregnant mothers, many of whom have had older children taken into care. Many have experienced domestic abuse, poor mental health and addiction, but the team does not treat those as insurmountable barriers to parenting. The project has a dedicated midwife, Adele, who monitors every baby from pregnancy to birth.

Ellie, a support worker described as a superhero by families, has lived experience of foster care and moving from home to home. She visits Kerry and Dave, who both have learning difficulties. Kerry had her first baby removed and later adopted, and there was a high chance her second child would go into care too. With intensive support, the couple have been allowed to keep their two-year-old, Jackson. Families in the report asked for their faces not to be shown to protect their children.

Three-quarters of parents supported by the team have been able to keep their children, while the rest are still taken into care. The project has reduced the number of children in Salford going into care. Another mother, Lauren, had three elder children removed but has kept her eight-month-old, Kai, at home. She said every day was perfect, she did not feel judged, and people were not holding her past against her but supporting her future.

The government says it wants to see more schemes like this one, providing intensive local support for families whose children are at most risk of going into care. Experts say many of the children who are adopted could have stayed with their birth parents if more specialised support was in place.