More children adopted in Hertfordshire in past year, report finds

Meanwhile, the number of Hertfordshire children who were matched with adopters and subsequently placed for adoption increased to 36.

That’s the highest number of children matched for adoption in the past three years - and 15 more than those who were matched in 2024-2025.

The data is included in the county council’s Adoption Annual Report 2025-2026, presented to the latest meeting of the council’s children and families cabinet panel.

According to the report, the service received 60 enquiries from would-be adopters in 2025-2026, lower than any of the five years included in the report.

But there were 48 applicants progressing through stage one of the approval process, the highest number in any of the five years reported.

The report suggests a higher proportion of those making initial enquiries have actually gone through the application process.

“In 2025-2026 there were 10 fewer adopter enquiries compared to the previous year, which is a continued decrease since 2023,” says the report.

“However, there were 48 households that completed stage one, which is an increase of 10 from the previous year.

“The decrease in the number of adopter enquiries is a national challenge currently - however, what is positive is that in Hertfordshire more than half of those people who do enquire about adoption are progressing with the adoption process.”

The annual report also acknowledges that children who were ultimately placed for adoption spent longer in care before moving to their adoptive family.

The average time in care in 2025-2026 was 371 days, says the report, compared to 318 in 2024-2025. However, that, it says, is still “significantly below” the national average of 480 days.

It states: “In the year 2025-2026 the average time between a child becoming looked after and moving to their adoptive family, in Hertfordshire, was 371 days, still significantly below the national average of 480 days, but an increase from 318 days in 2024-2025.

“Once the court has granted a placement order, children in Hertfordshire waited, on average, 135 days to be matched with their adoptive family.

“This is well below the national average of 222 days, and a decrease from 165 days last year.”

During the 12-month period, 31 children were legally adopted - which is 10 more than in the previous year.

As well as the recruitment and assessment of prospective adoptive parents, the county’s adoption service also provides a number of support services, pre and post-adoption.

It provides inter-country adoption services and non-agency adoption applications, which can include applications by step-parents.

The Adoption Annual Report 2025-2026 was presented to the council’s children and families cabinet panel on November 9.