- 06/10/2015
- Posted by: Mike Hedges MS
- Category: Uncategorized
MORE CHILDREN ADOPTED IN WALES, FEWER IN CARE
More children in Wales are being adopted with fewer in the care of local authorities, new statistics from the Welsh Labour Government have shown.
Mike Hedges said ….. I welcome the news that more young children are being placed with families for adoption and welcome that Welsh Government funded schemes are enabling families to remain together. I meet many families who receive support from Integrated Family support services and from Flying Start. I have asked the Minister on many occasions for Flying Start to be expanded, particularly for schools such as Trallwn Primary as I am aware of the major contribution it can make to families with young children who need extra support.
I look forward to future falls in the Looked After Children numbers in Swansea East.
According to the figures, 5,617 children in Wales were looked after by Welsh local authorities on March 31, 2015, a decrease of 128 (2.2%) over the previous year. The statistics also show there were 383 children adopted from care over the same period, up by 38 (11%) over the previous year.
Welsh Labour Ministers have established and invested significantly in programmes, including Flying Start and the Integrated Family Support Service, which aim to keep families together, helping to give children the very best start in life. A strategic steering group on improving outcomes for children has been set up to develop a national approach towards looked-after children, which will focus on prevention and early intervention, promote improved collaborative working across agencies and identify and share good practice.
Wales’ new National Adoption Service, which was launched in November, is promoting adoption and working to increase the pool of adopters.
