A SHORTAGE of adoptive parents means that children in care are being moved up to 20 times before a suitable home can be found, according to campaigners.

The British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) said that, unless more people came forward to adopt, more than a third of the 4,000 children waiting for an adoptive family might never be found one.

Instead, many children could be split from brothers and sisters and forced to live a long way from family and friends, moving from one foster placement or children’s home to another.

Their education is likely to be disrupted and many may find it difficult to form lasting relationships later in life.

The organisation is especially concerned about the high number of moves forced on children younger than 2, for whom the experience of moving can be particularly damaging.

Department of Health figures suggest that 640 babies will experience three or more placements every year.

Felicity Collier, the chief executive of the BAAF, said that the figure was shocking. “We are especially worried about babies,” she said.

“There is evidence that a traumatic change, like moving to live with a stranger you don’t recognise, can cause damage which may be irreversible to a baby’s developing brain.

“Some of these children may never be able to trust adults, to make friends, do well at school or parent their own children. The waste of potential is appalling.”

There is a growing body of research to suggest that babies can recognise people after just a few weeks, and form attachments to a carer or parent. When early attachments are broken, it can be difficult, or impossible, to form such close attachments again.

The charity believes that no baby in public care should have more than two changes of carer in the first year of its life, and that local authorities should publish annual statistics and give reasons for any moves.

Ms Collier said that as many older children in public care had suffered abuse or neglect they were also in need of greater stability. To mark national adoption week, the BAAF is unveiling billboards in London, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow.

One poster carries the slogan: “Being constantly moved around can break a child’s heart.” Another reads: “This poster has no permanent home. Like thousands of kids in care, this poster will be moved again tomorrow.”

The charity is also calling on the Government to fund “concurrent planning” schemes that would approve foster carers as adopters and support them to care for children while efforts were made to help them to return home.

If a child were unable to return home, the scheme would allow the foster carers to adopt the child.

During National Adoption Week, which begins today, the BAAF is calling on people to come forward to find out about adopting a child.

www.nationaladoptionweek.org.uk

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