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Baby Care Proceedings Rise Sparks Concerns Over Unnecessary Adoptions

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

The number of children involved in care proceedings before their first birthdays remains high across England, according to new figures from Lancaster and Oxford universities. Care proceedings for babies have increased by 64% over the past two decades, affecting one infant in 118. The data, covering up to 2024‑25, peaked during the Covid period before falling slightly and plateauing.

Experts told File on 4 Investigates that many of these cases may have been avoidable if adequate support had been available. They also warned that infants placed in care are more likely to be adopted than older children, raising fears that some may have been permanently separated from their birth families unnecessarily.

The BBC reports that new guidance for Family Court judges, aimed at reducing short‑notice care hearings within hours or days of a baby’s birth, is expected before year‑end. Government figures show that 72% of adopted children in England entered care before turning one. More than 90% of these adoptions proceeded without parents’ written consent, and courts overruled parents’ wishes in just under half of those cases. The remaining cases were classified as “unopposed,” with many parents advised not to contest the adoptions.

Adoption is described by the government and adoption organisations as a last resort, because while it can provide stability, it also permanently severs the legal relationship between a child and its birth family.

Experts noted that between a fifth and a quarter of care proceedings were “clear‑cut,” involving serious harm or abuse. The majority were “grey‑area” cases of neglect involving families with complex needs such as drug and alcohol problems or housing issues, which might have improved with support.

Children’s charity Coram warned that infants in care who are not adopted are likely to remain in care, and research shows that many children raised in the care system experience poorer life outcomes than those outside it.

Social workers play a central role in deciding whether a child should be taken into care. One social worker, referred to as Tracy, described the daily dilemmas of balancing time for families to resolve crises against the risk of failing to intervene.

High‑profile cases such as Baby P in north London and Sara Sharif in Woking, Surrey, have highlighted the stakes involved. The British Association of Social Workers said its members are working hard amid increasing caseloads and reduced resources.

With only about 10% of adoptions in England made with written consent from birth parents, campaigners and some experts have described the situation as modern‑day “forced adoption.” Professor Karen Broadhurst of Lancaster University acknowledged that the term is politically loaded but said it reflects the reality that parents often do not agree to adoption.

One birth mother, Jean, recounted that she never wanted to give up her daughter, Tye, for adoption and described the process as forced. She was separated from Tye for 16 years after the child was taken into care at 11 weeks old and adopted at two. Tye, now an adult, has been reunited with Jean.

Newham Council, which handled Jean’s case, said it followed a lawful process and had offered extensive support, including 24‑hour help in a residential mother‑and‑baby unit and two‑way letterbox communication with adoptive parents.

Sarah Johal, head of Adoption England, said that while birth parents may feel the term “forced adoption” is accurate, today’s decisions are a response to child protection concerns and that the Family Court considers all options for each child.

Since Tye’s adoption, support for birth families across England has declined. Spending on early intervention services has fallen by 44% over a decade, while the cost of caring for children in care has risen by 50% in the same period.

Lancaster University’s Professor Broadhurst said that reduced support has led to more “grey‑area” cases entering care. She also expressed concern that many urgent care hearings in England in 2024‑25 were for newborns, requiring mothers to attend court within days of giving birth.

The new guidance for judges will allow family courts to be more rigorous in refusing to deal with cases that do not meet urgency criteria. Broadhurst, who sat on the working group for the guidance, said judges are only one part of a wider system of support and intervention.

The government is investing £2.4 billion to transform children’s social care, including earlier and better support to help families stay together wherever possible. Research from the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory shows that early, intensive support to birth mothers, especially those facing repeat care proceedings, is critical to reducing the number of children entering the care system.

In Salford, the Strengthening Families project offers specialised, intensive support during a child’s early years. About three‑quarters of families referred have been able to stay together. The project’s midwife, Adele Martin, said that when a mother in crisis says, “you can take my baby from my arms,” it is a crucial moment.

The story was reported by the BBC and includes quotes from experts, social workers, birth parents, and adoption professionals.