The U.K.'s Department of Education published new figures on Thursday that show adoptions by same-sex couples accounted for 9.6 percent of all adoptions in England in 2016, up from 8.4 percent last year.
The data shows while the number of adoptions by same-sex couples--450--remained the same from 2015 to 2016, the total number of adoptions decreased, raising the same-sex couple adoption percentage.
Back in July, the Department of Education announced that they were raising funding for same-sex adoptions, giving PS100,000 to New Family Social, the country's only LGBT adoption and fostering charity.
"Although the total number of adoptions fell in England in 2016, it's heartening to see that agencies continue to consider and successfully place children for adoption with same-sex couples," said Tor Docherty, Chief Executive of New Family Social. "It's key in every adoption case that the needs of the child remain paramount and that agencies consider the full range of potential parents."
