York tops adoption performance table

Councils that are failing children who up for adoption or fostering were named and shamed today as part of a Government crackdown on poor performing authorities.

Hackney, in London, came bottom of the table with just 43% of children being placed with adoptive parents within 12 months.

Among the other lowest performers were Brent on 52%, Nottinghamshire on 55%, and Derby and the East Riding of Yorkshire both on 57%.

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York came out top, with a 100% record of enabling children to go to new families within one year.

It was followed by South Tyneside on 96%, Hartlepool on 95% and Portsmouth and Windsor and Maidenhead on 94%.

The move comes as David Cameron warned that services at poor performing local authorities could be taken over by other councils or have their services contracted out privately.

The Prime Minister spoke out as potential adopters and foster parents were urged to come forward.

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Launching the Give a Child a Home campaign at the start of national adoption week, he said: “It is shocking that of the 3,600 children under the age of one in care, only 60 were adopted last year - this is clearly not good enough.

“We need more people to think about fostering and adoption so this National Adoption Week I would encourage anyone who is considering adoption to find out more about whether they could provide a home for a child.

People who foster and adopt make a fantastic difference to a child’s life and there are children waiting for families right now.”