THE number of children being adopted in Poole last year almost doubled, a council report shows.

In 2017/18, 22 adoptions took place compared to just 12 in 2016/17.

The figure represents 30 per cent of the total number of children leaving the care system in the borough.

A report to Poole council’s people overview and scrutiny committee for children and young people says: “An increase in the number of foster carer adoptions coupled with adoptive placements achieving adoption orders contributed to the rise in numbers.

“The increase also correlates to the rise in the number of children in care in the spring of 2015/17 which were younger children.”