Dozens of Scottish children who have been approved for adoption are waiting more than a year to be matched with a new family, according to Scotland's care watchdog.
A report from the Care Inspectorate praised adoption services, but warned that too many children were facing lengthy waits to be matched.
Last year 54 children, a quarter of all those approved for adoption, were still waiting a year after the decision had been taken about their future.
This is virtually unchanged since the previous year.
The figures come on top of existing concerns about the lengthy journey some children have to reach the point where adoption is approved.
Academics from the universities of Stirling, York and Lancaster said many youngsters were waiting up to three years for a decision, even in clear-cut cases where they had been in care since birth.
Social workers, children's hearings and the courts have all been blamed for taking too long to reach permanent decisions where children are unable to return to live with their birth families.
The new report on fostering and adoption from the Care Inspectorate says the quality of care experienced by children was high, with 97% graded ‘good’ or better at inspection.
But it notes that a quarter of all children approved for adoption in Scotland had been waiting for more than a year to be matched with approved adopters.
Individual Local Authorities are working to address issues to reduce the matching process, the watchdog said.
Peter Macleod, the chief executive of the Care Inspectorate said: “These services play a vital role in assessing, approving and supporting carers and prospective adoptive parents in caring for some of our most vulnerable children.
“From our inspections we know that the vast majority of these services perform very well. We are also well aware that tremendous work has gone on across the sector to innovate and make a real difference to the lives of children.
“We also know that more high quality fostering and adoption places are needed for vulnerable children, and that too many children are separated from their siblings when a place is found for them."
maintaining a strong bond with siblings is often crucial in helping children in care form permanent and loving relationships as quickly as possible, he added.
“Sisters and brothers are often a great support and comfort at times of crisis, especially for young children.”
Tory health spokesperson Miles Briggs, said a year was a long time for a child to be left in limbo. "Stability is crucial for a child’s development and the matching process must be reviewed so that children can be matched with approved adopters sooner," he added.
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