Adoption Barometer 2026: Wales In recent years, the Adoption Barometer has charted a steady increase in the proportion of families describing their status as ‘experiencing significant challenges or at crisis point.” This seems to have levelled off in 2025, and the proportion reporting a child leaving the family home prematurely is significantly lower than in recent years. However there has been no increase in those who say they feel optimistic about their family’s future. Perceptions of the approvals and matching process for new adoptive parents remain overwhelmingly positive and fewer respondents said that there were times the process seemed so difficult they wondered if they could continue. Among established families, those who asked for adoption support with significant or urgent support needs were more likely to be offered a package of targeted, enhanced support in Wales than in any other nation of the UK. Confidence in the support available for teenagers and young adults remains low, although slightly stronger than elsewhere in the UK. 43% of parents of 16-25-year-olds agreed that their child was getting the support they needed from statutory services. Use the links below to find out more how the policies and practices around adoption impacted the lives of adoptive families in Wales in 2025. Download a summary The early stages Prospective adopters undergoing any part of the approvals and matching process, who had a child come to live with them, or who obtained an adoption order during 2025. Established adoptive families Adoptive parents with one or more adopted children aged 0-25 whose adoption was finalised before 2025. Parents of teenagers and young adults Parents of adopted teenagers and young adults aged 13-25 Our recommendations Back to Adoption Barometer 2026 overview Manage Cookie Preferences