Figures released for National Adoption Week 2025 show a worrying drop in the number of people coming forward to adopt leaving 2,940 children in need of adoption.
New research from You Can Adopt has revealed that 86% of adoptive parents surveyed believed they needed a perfect home to be considered suitable for adoption.
However, the reality is far more modest – with just over two fifths (41 per cent) of adoptive parents surveyed living in a house with two bedrooms or less, two thirds (65 per cent) not having a garden and a quarter living in rented accommodation (25 per cent).
This National Adoption Week (20–26 October), You Can Adopt is tackling the misconceptions around needing a ‘perfect’ home head-on, showing that children who need to be adopted don’t need perfection – they need a ‘welcome home’.
Insights from 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.
Last year PACT placed 84 children with secure, loving families and would love to hear from anyone interested in becoming a parent through adoption.
Adoption Service Director Lorna Hunt said: “Right now there are children waiting for adoption. We need prospective adopters who, with our specialist package of adoption support, can become parents to a child (or children) who needs a loving and secure family.
“If adoption is something you would like to know more about, do connect with us. At PACT you can expect a warm welcome from our amazing team who will be there to guide you every step of the way.”
Download a guide, attend one of our online information events or use our self-assessment tool to check if you are ready to become an adoptive parent. Visit https://www.pactcharity.org/adoption
