Bradford Council has no cause to be ashamed of its mid-table rating as far as placing children in new adoptive homes is concerned. A five per cent adoption figure for children currently in care may not seem a lot, but it is a considerable improvement on the one per cent or less reported by some local authorities' social services departments.

The national figures have led to accusations that some councils are letting political correctness stand in the way of placing children with adoptive families, condemning them to grow up in local-authority residential homes. There are no such barriers in Bradford, where social workers are strongly pro-adoption. Co-ordinator Jody Sheppard has said that the aim is to find an adoptive family for every child that needs one. The problem here is not a reluctance on their part to place youngsters but a lack of success in persuading would-be adopters to come forward.

Thanks to the encouraging response to the T&A's Adoption Crisis Appeal, the local figures for 1999/2000 are expected to be much improved on those recorded for the last year in the new national league table. It is important that the momentum generated by that appeal continues.

Because of the response to it, assessments are taking place which could lead to 26 children who badly need love and stability in their lives being placed in permanent homes. That will be good news for both the children and the families. However, as Jody Sheppard says, until every child in need of adoption finds a family, there is no room for complacency.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.