Adoptions red tape will be slashed, vow ministers

Red tape for foster carers and adopters will be wiped out under reforms of the system, ministers said yesterday.

Edward Timpson said pointless paperwork that meant foster parents must call a social worker before taking a child for a haircut or a sleepover would be dropped.

The Children's Minister also pledged an end to delays caused by agencies being unable to share records as he launched a consultation on the Government push to create a "fairer, faster" adoption and fostering process.

Mr Timpson, whose parents fostered more than 80 children and adopted his two younger brothers, said: "Sadly I have come across too many potential adopters who have given up, frustrated by the system, and foster carers exasperated by the bureaucracy required for everyday tasks. I want the process to be as hassle-free as possible."

The package includes the "fostering for adoption" scheme announced earlier this year by Prime Minister David Cameron which allows a child to be placed with potential adopters before lengthy legal procedures are finalised. It will go to consultation and is set to come into force in 2013.

David Holmes, chief executive of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, welcomes the moves.