Same-sex adoptions at record high in Britain

Some lovely news to brighten up your Sunday as figures released by the Department for Education reveal adoptions made by same-sex couples across England, Scotland and Wales are at an all-time high.

New figures in the report Children looked after in England including adoption: 2014 to 2015 found between April 2014 and March 2015, 8.5% of all adoptions in England were by same-sex parents, with 450 in total, reports Pink News.

This figure was up from 3.27% of same-sex adoptions across England in 2011.

Increases to other parts of the UK were also noted with 30 same-sex adoptions made in Wales, and 17 in Scotland.

The report found 90% of adoptions were by two people, either living together as partners, married, or in a civil partnership, with one in 12 adoptions now to a same-sex couple.

It noted 5% of adoptions in England were from parents in civil partnerships, up from last year’s figure of 2%.

In comparison, the first year with figures on record was 2007 where just 90 children were adopted by same-sex couples across all of England, Scotland and Wales.

The sample data also included married same-sex couples who were able to legally marry as of March 2014.

Chief Executive of UK-based LGBT adoption and fostering charity New Family Social Tor Docherty said “It’s key in every adoption case that the needs of the child are paramount throughout”.

“It’s fantastic that adoption agencies increasingly recognise the skills that LGBT people can bring as parents to meet those children’s needs.”