Statistically at least, the adoption question is an easy one to solve. On one side, more than 5,000 children are waiting to be adopted while on the other, thousands of childless couples are queuing up for help. The villain of the piece is the notoriously long and complicated vetting process, according to the government. Health minister John Hutton says the procedure, which varies across the country, needs to be regularised and streamlined. We have to have a system that encourages people to come forward and not one that deters them.
Local variances mean that currently no procedure is set in stone.
But all local authorities and registered adoption agencies adhere to a general system, says Mo O'Reilly, who runs Barnardo's Jigsaw Project in north London. Couples are asked some fundamental questions and learn key facts about the adoption process. Couples are also sounded out on adopting older children, rather than babies. This puts many of the issues into writing, asks for references and, most crucially, authorises statutory checks. The main checks are with GPs, the police , local authorities and the Department of Health.