Adapting Adoption: A Case of Closet Politics?

The Adoption and Children Act 2002 addressed problems of delayin the adoption process, particularly with regard to childrenlooked after in the care system. This article reviews the backgroundto the Act and considers critically its emphasis on administrativereform. While the problem of delay was addressed mainly in administrativeterms, the issue could not be entirely separated from politicaldebate. In the lead-up to the Act political controversy centredon racial matching; during its passage, it focused on the legalizationof same-sex adoption. The Government effectively diffused oppositionon both counts through its emphasis on pragmatic reform to promotethe welfare of the child. The article characterizes this approachas ‘closet politics’ and suggests that such pragmatismmay exact a price in terms of implementation. The failure toaddress or resolve underlying issues of principle may mean thatlegislative change has only a limited effect on professionalpractice and public prejudice.