Special Educational Needs: support in England
An overview of the current system of support for children and young people with special educational needs, and pressure on the system. Updated with new 2024-25 SEND incidence and EHC plan data

This note provides information on the current law and policy on inter-racial adoption.
Inter-racial adoption (271 KB , PDF)
The issue of race in matching children in care with prospective adoptive parents is one that has been raised in Parliament and in the press on a number of occasions. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 currently provides that, although a child’s racial and cultural origins are relevant factors to be considered by adoption agencies when making decisions about an adoption placement, they are not overriding considerations. However, concerns that race was preventing children being placed with suitable families of different backgrounds prompted the Coalition Government to issue revised statutory guidance to make it clear that a child’s ethnicity should not be a barrier to adoption. Subsequently, provision to repeal the requirement for adoption agencies to give due consideration to a child’s religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background when making a decision in relation to the adoption of a child was included in the Children and Families Act 2014. The provision is not yet in force.
This note provides information on the development of the policy on inter-racial adoption.
This note applies to England.
Inter-racial adoption (271 KB , PDF)
An overview of the current system of support for children and young people with special educational needs, and pressure on the system. Updated with new 2024-25 SEND incidence and EHC plan data
A general debate on giving every child the best start in life is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on Wednesday 16 July 2025.
A debate on children's health is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on Thursday 10 July 2025. The subject for the debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee, and the debate will be led by Dr Simon Opher MP.