Adoption and Foster care

Dear Ms Holden
YOUR REQUEST REF NO.07220   UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request for information received on 16 January 2012.
 Your request reference is as above.

We will respond to your request promptly and in any event within 20
working days of the date of receipt of your request.  If you wish to
contact me to discuss the progress of your request, please use the contact
details given below and quote the reference number given above.
Regards

Mrs Mary J Elliott
Freedom of Information Officer (Tuesdays to Fridays only)
(Corporate Information Governance Group)
Legal & Democratic Services
Surrey County Council
County Hall
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 2DN

Tel: 020 8541 7969
Fax: 020 8541 9009
[mobile number]

Making Surrey a better place
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Anne Holden FOI requests at
<[FOI #100403 email]> To Surrey County Council
<[Surrey County Council request email]>
14/01/12 04:38 cc
Freedom of
Subject Information request -
Adoption and Foster
care

     Dear Surrey County Council,
   
    How many adoptions were proposed by Surrey Social Services and were
    endorsed by the Family Court during 2010-2011.
   
    How many of these children were considered disabled.
   
    How many of these children were over the age of 5.
   
    How many of these children were under the age of 5.
   
    How many of the proposals for adoption were not supported by the
    families and objections raised by them for social services to look
    for alternatives.
   
    How many of these children to be adopted/were adopted had siblings
    that were adopted within the same family.
   
    How many of these children to be adopted/were adopted had siblings
    adopted by another family.
   
    How many of these children to be adopted/were adopted had siblings
    who were left to be raised in long term foster care.
   
    What is the shortest time any adoption has lasted before breaking
    down and the child returning to the care of Surrey social services
    to be re-adopted into another family during 2005-2012.
   
    Have any children during 2005-2012 had more than one adoptive
    placement after breakdown.
   
    If found that the parents could not look after the children, did
    any of these children have extended family who wanted to care for
    them.
   
    Statistics show that children who cannot return to their parents do
    well/better with extended family. How many children went to the
    extended family.
   
    What help is given to the extended family to support the children
    staying within their family.
   
    Statistics show that 1 in 3 adoptions break down. How many
    adoptions arranged by Surrey Social Services between 2000-2012 have
    broken down.
   
    What is a childs average age when adoptions break down generally.
   
    Statistics show that foster care placements break down. What is the
    average time a child is likely to stay in the same foster home
    before being moved to another foster home during the period of
    2010-2012.
   
    What is the longest time any child has stayed in the same foster
    home.
   
    What is a childs average age when foster care breaks down
    generally.
   
    How much contact do siblings have in a year once they have been
    separated.
   
    Yours faithfully,
   
    Anne Holden
   
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
   
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We have considered your request regarding adoption.  Please find the
answers below:

1.        How many adoptions were proposed by Surrey Social Services and
were endorsed by the Family Court during 2010-2011.
April 2010- April 2011

Adoptions proposed ( shobpa recommendations made)  50

Endorsed by court  42

3 were voluntarily relinquished ( ie not through court)

6 were not endorsed by the court

Of 6 where LA care plan was not endorsed by the court

2 went to family members

2 returned to birth fathers

2 to remain in long term foster care as opposed to adoption

2.        How many of these children were considered disabled.

2 of the 50

3.        How many of these children were over the age of 5.

9 of 50

4.        How many of these children were under the age of 5.

41 of 50

5.        How many of the proposals for adoption were not supported by the
families and objections raised by them for social services to look for
alternatives.

All of the cases which were within the court process were contested by the
birth parents to some degree ( 47 of 50)

6.        How many of these children to be adopted/were adopted had
siblings that were adopted within the same family.

22 of the 50 children whose plan was to place with a birth sibling

7.        How many of these children to be adopted/were adopted had
siblings adopted by another family.

9 of the 50 – but this includes some children who also counted in the 22
above (both placed and with a sibling but separately to another)

8.        How many of these children to be adopted/were adopted had
siblings who were left to be raised in long term foster care.

4 of 50

9.        What is the shortest time any adoption has lasted before
breaking down and the child returning to the care of Surrey social
services to be re-adopted into another family during 2005-2012.

1 placement lasted approx 2 weeks before the child returned to foster
care, this child was later successfully adopted by another family.

10.        Have any children during 2005-2012 had more than one adoptive
placement after breakdown.

None – 5  of 8 children whose first placement broke down went on to be
successfully adopted on 2^nd placement.

11.        If found that the parents could not look after the children,
did any of these children have extended family who wanted to care for
them.

Ambiguous question- 8 of 50 had no family members who wished to be
considered to care for them

12.        Statistics show that children who cannot return to their
parents do well/better with extended family. How many children went to the
extended family.

April 2010 April 2011- - figures  only collected for LAC children in care
proceedings who went to extended family under a legal order    17 ( sgo)

13.        What help is given to the extended family to support the
children staying within their family.

      Extended family members who care for children through a fostering
arrangement will have access to  range of support services which will
include support from an assessing social worker, support groups, initial
training, a fostering allowance, access to a buddy to mentor them, extra
support as required from a fostering support worker, access to
consultations with the educational psychology service and access to
information on a dedicated foster carers website and through the resource
library to help them care for the child staying with them.

14.        Statistics show that 1 in 3 adoptions break down. How many
adoptions arranged by Surrey Social Services between 2000-2012 have broken
down.

Breakdowns are only counted if the adoption disrupts prior to the making
of an adoption order.  Figures exist from 2004, 8 children in 6 placements
disrupted from 2005-Jan 2012. ( of approx 240 children adopted)

Ages of these children at disruption

10& 7

1

7

5&3

7

1

15.        What is a child’s average age when adoptions break down
generally.

See above

16.        Statistics show that foster care placements break down. What is
the average time a child is likely to stay in the same foster home before
being moved to another foster home during the period of 2010-2012.

We don't keep stats on this but it is almost totally dependent on the care
plan for the child and a move of placement doesn't necessarily mean a
'placement breakdown'
17.        What is the longest time any child has stayed in the same
foster home.

The answer to this is probably about 8 years but again it is somewhat
irrelevant as it depends on the age of a child when first placed, whether
the care plan is long term fostering/adoption/rehab home or what
18.        What is a child’s average age when foster care breaks down
generally.

We have no stats on this
19.        How much contact do siblings have in a year once they have been
separated.
In adoption commonly this is planned to take place 3- 4 times per year.
However It depends on the care plan and individual needs of the children
involved

Kind regards
FOI Children's Services

Please reply to [email address]

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