THE number of families approved to adopt a child has seen a “worrying decline,” charity workers warn today as England and Wales marked 100 years since adoption was legalised.

Britain’s first dedicated children’s charity Coram revealed the “deeply concerning” data showing there are half as many approved adoptive families currently available in England than the number of children awaiting adoption.

And almost a quarter of people (23 per cent) would consider adopting, according to recent polling commissioned by the charity.

Coram said this figure showed “the huge potential pool of adopters and highlighting there is more to be done to encourage those people to take the next step towards adoption as a way of building their family.”

The latest figures, covering April to December 2025, found 3,010 children with a placement order in England were waiting to be matched with a family, half of whom have been waiting 18 months or longer.

Over the same period, there were 1,350 approved adoptive families waiting to be matched with a child.

These were compared to 2,080 children awaiting adoption at the end of December 2015, with 3,250 awaiting adoptive families.

Coram chief executive Dame Carol Homden said: “Research is clear that adoption provides strong stability and positive outcomes and brings joy to many families.” 

She added that the sector must ensure children’s needs are met.

Today marks the centenary of legal adoption in England and Wales with the passing of the Adoption of Children Act 1926, introducing a legal process by which rights and responsibilities for a child could be transferred from birth to adoptive parents.

The Department for Education said it has consulted on how adoption services could be improved earlier this year and that “full plans” will be set out shortly.