The financial challenges of adoption: Practice & policy implications

This project will explore the financial challenges adoptive families face and their impact on children’s outcomes. 

Why this project is important

Around 3,000 children are adopted annually in the UK. Research shows adopted children are at significantly increased risk of long-term developmental, behavioural, educational, and emotional difficulties resulting from early trauma, disrupted attachments, and/or genetic or neurodevelopmental factors. 

Around a quarter of adoptive parents describe major complex challenges and difficulties in getting support, resulting in parental physical and mental illness, and a negative impact on financial stability and social relationships. A small proportion of adoptions break down permanently (meaning that the child returns permanently to foster or residential care) at extremely high cost to both individuals and social care. Adopter recruitment rates have fallen rapidly in recent years following the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis .

What the research will involve

The research will address the following questions: 

• What proportion of adoptive families in England and Wales are affected by financial challenges? 

• To what extent does the level or type of financial challenge differ by family composition, protected characteristics, or socio-economic factors? 

• What are the associations between financial challenges per demographic sub-groups and i) school attendance/ exclusion, and special educational needs; ii) availability/eligibility/uptake of respite/short-term breaks; iii) work capability resulting from children’s needs; iv) parental health following the adoption order; v) parental employment status, vi) adoption allowance availability. What can we learn about the complex relationships between these factors? 

• What are the feasible solutions to these issues implementable at local, regional, or national levels? What are the likely benefits of implementing these solutions including for individual adopted children and for society as a whole? 

• In what ways could national policy support effective organisational practice improvements at a local and regional level? 

Survey data from 2,822 adoptive families in England and Wales will be analysed to assess financial challenges and associated factors.  Focus groups and interviews with adoption professionals will refine the findings and explore solutions. 

How the research will make a difference 

Actional recommendations which look to inform adoption policy modernisation, improve support systems and address final barriers to adoption will be co-produced in workshops. Collaboration with Adoption UK will help policy and practice influence while also building their capacity for future data analysis.