Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on (a) adoption disruptions and (b) adoption breakdowns.

The department does not collect information centrally on the number of adoptions that have been disrupted or adoption breakdowns.

Annual statistical release publications contain information on looked after children who have been adopted or are in the adoption process. The published information available relates to children who started to be looked after during each collection year and whether they are known to have had a previous permanent arrangement. This data is in table C1 of the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical release, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/e29ff5f1-b011-4b2d-a0f7-08de00c387a4.

Figures showing numbers at 31 March 2026 will be published on 19 November 2026.