This report seeks to provide an up-to-date analysis of adoption activity undertaken by local authorities
acting as adoption agencies. It considers data on both children and adopters in the system and information
about collaborative activity in which local authorities are involved.
The most recent official data analysed only covers activity upto 31st March 2012. The analysis of data
from 31st March 2012 has led to the Department for Education calculating that, in order to ensure there are
sufficient adopters for children with an adoption decision, 3600 adopters are required per year, as well as
2-3000 additional adopters in total to meet the existing shortfall. This report seeks to analyse the progress
that local authorities have made to date towards meeting these predicted requirements, and the progress that
they expect to make upto March 2014