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New research released by experts from Lancaster and Oxford universities reveals that a significant number of children in England enter care proceedings before reaching their first birthday. Over the past twenty years, cases involving infants in care have surged by 64%, now affecting roughly one in every 118 babies. Although these figures peaked during the Covid pandemic, they have since declined slightly and stabilized. The data highlights a persistent and worrying trend in early childhood interventions by social services.
Experts involved in the investigation emphasize that while there are situations where children must be removed from their parents due to safety concerns, many of these early care cases might have been avoided with adequate support for families. Babies placed into care tend to have a higher likelihood of adoption compared to older children, which raises concerns that some infants may have been unnecessarily separated from their birth families on a permanent basis. In response, the BBC reports that new guidelines will be introduced before the end of the year aimed at reducing the urgent care hearings that take place shortly after birth.
Government data reveals that 72% of children adopted in England entered care before their first birthday. CoramBAAF, an organization representing professionals in adoption and children’s services, points out that over 90% of these adoptions occurred without the written consent of the birth parents. Courts overturned parental objections in nearly half the cases, while the remainder were “unopposed,” often because parents were advised not to challenge the adoption proceedings, believing such efforts would be futile. Authorities stress that adoption should remain a final option given its irreversible impact, permanently severing the legal ties between child and birth family despite offering stability.
Care proceedings cover a range of circumstances. Professor Karen Broadhurst of Lancaster University explains that only about 20-25% of these cases involve clear evidence of serious harm or abuse. Most fall into a “grey area” characterized by neglect due to complex family issues such as substance misuse and inadequate housing, problems that might improve with sufficient support. Meanwhile, charities like Coram warn that if infants in care do not get adopted, they often remain in the system, where outcomes tend to be worse compared to children raised outside care. For social workers, balancing timely intervention to protect children against allowing families time to address difficulties is a daily challenge. One social worker, who spoke under the pseudonym Tracy, describes complex assessments of risk that must weigh past and current evidence to anticipate future harm. High-profile tragedies such as those involving Baby P and Sara Sharif underscore the seriousness with which these decisions are approached amid stretched resources and rising caseloads, as noted by the British Association of Social Workers. The low rate of adoptions conducted with parental consent has led to accusations from some campaigners that the current care system practices a form of “forced adoption,” a term that remains contentious.
Professor Broadhurst acknowledges the term “forced adoption” is politically charged and clarifies that today’s care system differs markedly from past coercive practices, particularly those between 1949 and 1976, for which the government has issued an apology. Nonetheless, she confesses that for parents who oppose adoption, the process often feels harsh and uncompromising. Many parents, even those unable to care for their child at the time, struggle with the prospect of limited or no contact until the child reaches adulthood. One birth mother, Jean, recounts her experience after her daughter Tye was taken into care at just 11 weeks old and adopted at two years of age. Separated for 16 years, Jean never wanted to give up Tye and describes the adoption as “forced,” although the council involved maintains that all legal procedures were followed correctly. Their reunion, after Tye’s eighteenth birthday, brings closure to a long and painful separation shaped by the complexities of the care system
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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