§ Mr. RichardsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he is taking to encourage more people to become foster parents; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesGuidance has been given to local social services authorities on recruitment of foster parents at paragraphs 3.7–3.11 of volume 3, "Family Placements", in "The Children Act Guidance and Regulations" series (HMSO). A copy is in the Library of the House.
Grant is given to the Wales Centre of the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering Organisation, one of whose activities is to run an annual "Find a Family" campaign in co-operation with local social services authorities.
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§ Mr. RichardsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children have been(a) adopted and (b) fostered in each year and in each county in Wales since 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThe total number of adoption orders made each year in England and Wales since 1979 is
1. Number of children placed under private foster arrangements in Wales1 Clwyd Dyfed Gwent Gwynedd Mid Glam Powys South Glam West Glam Wales 1979 21 14 3 2 22 2 30 — 94 1980 28 10 3 4 17 29 40 1 132 1981 24 4 3 7 19 26 17 3 103 1982 9 4 12 6 17 4 12 3 67 1983 15 6 13 5 21 4 14 1 79 1984 7 6 6 5 17 2 18 2 63 1985 8 6 9 2 13 1 15 1 55 1986 15 6 6 6 16 1 17 — 67 1987 12 11 8 9 13 — 16 — 69 1988 16 4 11 14 — 1 16 — 62 1989 18 12 6 6 1 2 11 — 56 1990 15 6 8 5 — 6 6 — 46 1991 15 8 5 7 1 3 4 — 43 1 At 31 March each year. Data for 1979 and 1980 relates to children in foster homes supervised under the Children Act 1958.
Data for 1981 onwards relates to private fostering arrangements supervised under the Foster Children Act 1980.
2.Number of children in local authority foster care in Wales1 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 Clwyd 245 269 258 245 229 219 200 227 227 224 207 220 210 Dyfed 143 146 139 155 130 134 128 128 134 151 172 175 214 Gwent 292 288 278 301 308 297 291 302 307 325 323 377 341 Gwynedd 134 134 141 166 176 179 176 181 173 173 178 162 155 Powys 271 310 347 372 355 363 377 389 393 386 377 423 378 Mid Glamorgan 33 33 41 50 54 44 29 30 35 35 46 36 33 South Glamorgan 288 307 299 306 292 303 330 354 341 352 301 306 316 West Glamorgan 213 222 221 228 255 258 266 280 295 326 293 295 303 Wales 1,619 1,709 1,724 1,823 1,799 1,797 1,797 1,891 1,905 1,972 1,897 1,994 1,950 1 At 31 March each year.