£19m fund to help adopted children access therapy
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Adoptive parents will be able to access a fund worth £19.3m to get help such as therapy for children who may have been abused or neglected, the government has announced.
The Adoption Support Fund will pay for therapeutic services such as cognitive therapy, play and music therapy, and intensive family support, to try and help adopted children recover from previous experiences.
It is hoped the move will result in fewer adoptions breaking down.
Prime Minister David Cameron described the fund as a “lifeline for adoptive families”.
“I hope it will reassure parents thinking about embarking on the hugely rewarding journey of adoption that if challenges do arise, they will no longer be left alone to cope.”
The fund will be rolled out nationally in 2015, following a trial at some local authorities that is set to begin shortly and that will assess what support works best.
The fund will be financed by government initially, but it eventually wants local authorities and adoption agencies to contribute.
Hugh Thornbery, chief executive of Adoption UK, said the fund “has the potential to be the most influential advance so far in improving today’s adoption system”.
“With the majority of children currently waiting in care for adoption coming from a traumatised background, this momentous development provides the foundation on which a successful adoption system can be built.”
Sue Kent, professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), said that although the additional support was welcome, the government must stop “shying away” from a “proper discussion” on the issue of adoption breakdown.
“We estimate that one in five adoptions currently break down, and the child is separated from the adoptive family,” she said.
“We have reservations about the current political enthusiasm for adoption, it can be life-changing for some children but it is not suitable for all children.
"A sole focus on adoption takes a very simplistic view of the care system which involves fostering, residential care and kinship care.”
The Adoption Support Fund is part of the government’s Supporting to Adopt reform package, which includes giving adoptive parents the same rights as birth parents, piloting personal budgets, and informing adoptive parents about what support they are entitled to receive.
