Fostering and adoption statistics for 2018-19 published
The Care Inspectorate has published its fostering and adoption statistics for 2018–19 providing insight into services in Scotland. The report shows that 90 per cent of fostering services and 95 per cent of adoption services were evaluated 'good' or better by inspectors. There are currently 38 adoption services and 60 fostering services registered.
There were 3,758 approved foster care households at 31 December 2018, a gradual decrease from 4,414 in 2015, and the number of children and young people using fostering services has also decreased from 5,853 in 2015 to 5,171 in 2018.
Independent services were less likely than local authority services to separate brothers and sisters and where they did, the most common reason was 'following assessment', while in local authority services the most common reason was 'lack of resources'.
A total of 280 adoptive households were approved in 2018, down from 317 in 2017, with the drop coming from local authorities rather than independent services, and 28 per cent of these were approved for two or more siblings.
194 children and young people were approved for adoption and waiting to be matched to an adoptive household - 35% were part of a sibling group and 22% had waited for over a year.