Care experience and family
Adoption UK Adoption Barometer 2022
Adoption UK · 2022
About this report
This annual survey of over 2,500 adoptive parents and prospective adopters across the UK examines experiences of the adoption process, post-adoption support, education, and birth family contact. Key findings show that 22% of adopted 16–25-year-olds were NEET at the end of 2021—more than twice the national average—and that 71% of adoptive families face a continual struggle to access the help they need. A supplementary survey of 282 adopted adults focused specifically on experiences of maintaining or establishing birth family relationships, finding significant gaps in counselling and support at every stage. The report includes nation-by-nation assessments of policy and practice across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Research details
- Methodology
- SurveyMixed methods
- Sample size
- 2,515
- Sample
- Adoptive parents (with an adopted child or children aged 0–25), prospective adopters, and adopted adults aged 18 and over across the UK. 96% of parent respondents identified as white; 85% had adopted as part of a couple; 11% identified as LGBTQ+.
- Who it's about
- Care-experienced / care leaversNEET (not in education, employment or training)
- Place
- UK-wide
- Youth involvement
- No youth involvement