Collection

Family Routes longitudinal study

Family Routes tracks the needs, experiences and outcomes of children leaving care on an adoption order or special guardianship order in England.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 25 September 2025

Family Routes is a longitudinal study intended to track the needs, experiences and outcomes of children leaving care on an adoption order (AO) or special guardianship order (SGO) in England.

This series of reports draws on:

• in-depth interviews with 74 families:
  • 40 adoptive families
  • 34 special guardianship families
• data analysis of Department for Education administrative datasets

Research reports

• Family Routes: children who returned to care
  • 25 September 2025
  • Research and analysis
• Family Routes: data analysis – methodology and core sample
  • 25 September 2025
  • Research and analysis
• Family Routes study: making decisions about their children’s care
  • 26 June 2025
  • Research and analysis
• Family Routes study: methodological paper
  • 27 September 2024
  • Research and analysis

Published 25 September 2025