ARC Adoption North East is joining organisations around the country in supporting National Adoption Week which runs from 20^th to 26^th October.

This National Adoption Week, 'You Can Adopt' along with adoption agencies across England are tackling the misconceptions around needing a ‘perfect’ home, showing that children who need to be adopted don’t need perfection – they need a ‘welcome home’.

 A new survey by 'You Can Adopt' reveals that nearly nine in ten adoptive parents surveyed were worried* they needed a 'perfect home' to pass the adoption assessment process, however the reality is far more modest, with adoptive parents living in a wide range of homes including cosy as well as spacious, and rented as well as owned. We also want people to know that there is no such thing as a perfect family – all families have worries and have things to learn along the way.

Jennifer, who adopted with the support of ARC Adoption, shared this about welcoming her daughter’s  along home:

National Adoption Week falls at a time when the disparity between prospective adopters and the children in need of an adoptive home continues to grow, with latest available figures showing 2940 children waiting in England, 190 children waiting in the North East, and only 93 approved adoptive families available as a potential match.

Terry Fitzpatrick OBE, Director at ARC Adoption North East said:

“It is a concerning time for adoption agencies as we see day-to-day the number of children in need of adoption grow, without seeing the same increase in adoptive families available to support them. We also understand that it needs to be the right time in people’s lives to come forward to undertake such an important journey as adoption, and it can be daunting to make the initial approach. People worry about not being exactly what we are looking for, but the truth is, there are no ‘perfect’ families out there. We try and make it as easy as possible when people enquire with us; our team is non-judgmental about people’s circumstances putting people at ease whilst they gather information to understand whether adoption is right for them.”

Insights from a range of adoption agencies across the country show that the cost-of-living crisis has contributed to a decline in the number of people coming forward to adopt – with new data showing a 12% decline in prospective adopter registrations compared to last year. This means that more children are now facing delays of over 18 months before being matched with a family - an increase compared to the previous year**. On average, it now takes 292 days from the moment a child is approved for adoption, to when they’re placed with a family - 11 days longer than last year. These delays and the 50% regional shortfall in available adoptive parents for North East children highlight the urgent need for more people to consider adoption.      

Terry added:

“In our region, coming along to an information event is how many people find out more about adoption initially, with no expectation or commitment to move forward. These events provide lots of information from both professionals and adoptive parents, which can empower people to think that ‘maybe they can’ adopt, through busting myths around eligibility and helping people to understand that there is support available to help them. At ARC Adoption, we take a holistic approach to support, ensuring that we are there for the duration of an adoptive family’s needs, starting from that initial enquiry.”

Adopted children have a variety of needs and have all faced challenges and difficult experiences in their very young lives. The adoption process is designed to prepare adoptive parents for coming together with a child or children and how best to provide the nurturing, loving home they need. This happens through a range preparation training sessions, as well as through one-on-one sessions with a social worker during the assessment, and once parents and children come together, our Therapeutic Adoption Support Service (TASS) is there to support the family on an ongoing basis. You can read more about the wide range of services, events and initiatives delivered and supported by our TASS team here.

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Feeling inspired? Find out more about adopting with our help

ARC Adoption North East’s online information events are held on the first Thursday of each month, with the next one taking place on Thursday 6^th November at 6pm. Anyone interested in hearing from our team and an adoptive parent can register here.

To request a private chat with a social worker from our enquiries team, please complete our enquiry form and someone will get back to you. We'd be delighted to help you get started on your own adoption journey, whether it's now or in the future.

* Combining answer options “Very worried” and “Somewhat worried”.

** An increase of 4% (50) in children waiting longer to be placed (1430 children with a PO not placed 18+ months since entering care) compared to 2024/25.