Relaunched adoption website offers improved matching process
An improved website to help match prospective adopters with children in need of a new family has been launched.
Innovations to the website for Scotland’s Adoption Register, which is run by the British Association for Adoption & Fostering in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, will involve prospective adopters and social workers more directly in the process of finding families for children.
The register has now assisted more than 150 confirmed matches of children with prospective adopters, and by sharing information more effectively the website will help speed up the process.
Under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 the register has been put on a statutory footing. Every adoption agency in Scotland must use it, and must refer both children and approved adopters within a timescale to be specified in Regulations.
Robin Duncan, manager of the register said: “There are frustrations about how long the adoption process can take and of how difficult it can be to find families for all the children who need them, but we are very excited by the opportunities the re-launched website brings, and the innovations to the Scottish Register will help speed up the matching process to find families for all the children who need them.”
Fiona McLeod, Acting Minister for Children, added: “The website will arm prospective parents with the information and advice they need to go forward. It is also a great practical resource for social workers who are key in helping to make placements between children who are suitable for adoption and prospective adopters in Scotland.