A new report, Change of plan away from adoption – an exploration from a practitioner perspective (April 2026), shines a light on an often-overlooked part of the adoption journey: when and why plans for adoption change.
Each year, hundreds of children in England who were initially planned for adoption instead move towards other forms of permanence, such as long-term foster care or kinship arrangements. While national data captures broad reasons for these changes, until now there has been limited insight into the day-to-day practice and decision-making behind them.
This research, based on interviews with social workers, family finders and reviewing officers across 20 real-life scenarios, provides a rich picture of the complexity involved. It highlights that decisions to change plans are rarely straightforward. Practitioners described carefully balancing children’s needs, wishes and long-term wellbeing, often in the context of uncertainty, limited availability of adopters, and evolving circumstances.
The report identifies several key themes. These include the challenges of finding adoptive families for children with complex or uncertain needs, the impact of court processes and time limits, and the importance of listening to children’s voices—particularly when they express a strong desire to remain with current carers. It also reflects on how sibling relationships, foster carer commitment, and perceptions of different permanence options shape decision-making.
Importantly, the findings show that changes of plan are not failures, but part of a responsive system seeking the best possible outcome for each child. In many cases, children remained in stable, caring foster homes that could meet their needs over the long term.
The report sets out a series of recommendations for policy and practice, including the need to recruit more adopters, strengthen support for those considering children with additional needs, and improve how decisions and data about changes of plan are recorded and understood.
By deepening understanding of this complex area, the research aims to support professionals, inform future policy, and ultimately improve permanence planning for children who cannot live with their birth families.
