DfE slashes adoption support grants

14 April 2 mins read Joanne Parkes Social Care

Campaigners are warning that a Department for Education decision to slash grants under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will leave traumatised children without meaningful therapy.

Social care organisations across the UK have committed significant time and resources to improve their response to the extra-familial risks and harms. Picture: AdobeStock/Alexokolov

Children in alternative family placements have experienced significant trauma and need timely support to thrive, charities argue. Picture: AlexSokolov/AdobeStock

The overall Fair Access Limit will be capped at £3,000 per child, compared with £5,000 previously.

Until now, the fund covered up to £2,500 for a specialist assessment plus up to £5,000 for therapy, subject to the limit.

The blow follows a last-minute confirmation on 1 April that the ASGSF would continue this year with a budget of £50 million – with the delay causing significant concern among adoptive families and prompting campaigners to create a petition calling for the renewal of the fund.

“However, demand for support from the ASGSF continues to grow significantly,” stated an email from the DfE to family support organisations today, adding that the limit is necessary for funding to reach “as many families as possible”.

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