Pathways to adoption for minority ethnic children in England – reasons for entry to care

There have been concerns about the over‐representation of minority ethnic children in care in England for many years. This paper reports on the reasons why a sample of 120 minority ethnic children with adoption recommendations entered care. The study found no evidence that children were being removed unfairly or in a discriminatory way. However, there were significant differences by ethnic group in the characteristics of children and their mothers, in reasons for entry and in age at referral. These differences needed to be better understood, and interventions targeted at improving the circumstances and stresses within families that lead to abuse, neglect or relinquishment are also needed. Simply focusing on reducing the number of minority ethnic children in care will not in itself produce better outcomes for children.