Islington Tops Adoption Table

8.38.35pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 25th Oct 2006

Islington Council has achieved the highest number of adoptions in London this year. The 33 successful adoptions is far higher than the closest borough (26 in Tower Hamlets) and exceeds the Council's target of 30.

Cllr Donna Boffa, lead member for Corporate Parenting and a member at that time of the adoption panel that evaluates and approves proposed adoptions, says:

"This is fantastic news. A successful adoption into a secure new family is the best way of securing a happy future for many children in care. But the process to make sure children are placed with the right new parents is long and complex, and takes a lot of hard work.

"I would like to thank all the teams involved in this process for all their hard work and commitment to helping change these young children's futures.

"Back in the days when Labour ran the council, the adoption rate was so bad that some children were spending their entire childhood lost in the system, with no real focus for tracking the timescales set for children in care. We've worked hard to get this process working for the best interests of all our children in care in Islington, to secure a better future for these children, and I'm very proud to see this reflected in us becoming the most successful borough in London for adopting."