JULIE SELWYN, Professor of Child and Family Social Work, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol
JUDITH MASSON, Professor of Socio-legal studies, University of BristolLittle has been known about the stability of adoption
for looked after children or how the stability of adoption orders compare to
the stability of special guardianship or residence orders. Findings are
reported on a study that used national data on all looked after children who
had been subject of the three types of
orders. The characteristics of the children differed by type of order and
between those whose placements were intact and those that had disrupted.
Adoption was the most stable of the three orders with the lowest rate of
disruption. The findings highlight the increased risk of disruption for
children who were older, had delays and placement moves and for those on SGOs
and ROs the greater stability of orders made to family or friends carers in
comparison to orders made to unrelated carers.
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