UK Attitudes To Adoption

One in four adults have either direct experience of adoption or have experienced adoption through a member of their family or a close friend, according to new research by the MORI Social Research Institute.

The survey, commissioned by BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering), suggests that people who have personal experience of adoption are more likely to consider adopting a child themselves. One in seven (13%) of those with personal experience of adoption have considered adopting a child or would consider it in the future, compared to one in 10 (nine per cent) overall.

Parents are also more likely to adopt - more than one in 10 (12%) of those with children say they have considered adopting or would consider it in the future, compared with seven per cent of adults without children.

However, the findings show that there is widespread misunderstanding about why children need adopting. The two main reasons cited by survey respondents are family breakdown and the death of a parent. This starkly contrasts with BAAF research which shows that the single main reason (39%) why children need adopting is because of abuse or neglect.

The survey suggests that although efforts to raise awareness of the need for more adopters for children in the UK are working, more needs to be done. More than two in five of those surveyed have seen publicity about overseas adoption, particularly adoption of babies from China, but just a quarter (27%) have seen appeals for more adopters for children in this country. Topping the issues most heard or seen about are adoption by same sex couples and Internet adoption, in particular the Kilshaw case. The new Adoption Bill was the issue least likely to have caught the public's attention.

MORI interviewed 1,836 adults aged 15 and over in 187 samples across Great Britain. Interviews were carried out face to face in homes between 5th and 10th September 2002 on a MORI Omnibus. The data was weighted to reflect the national profile.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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