Adopted children face mental health emergency, warns charity

Adoption UK’s Adoption Barometer report for 2021 reveals that 64 per cent of adopted people aged 16 and older have sought help with their mental health.

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Some 46 per cent of adopted people aged 16 to 25 were involved with mental health services last year compared with 17 per cent of the general population in the same age group.

However, 71 per cent of adopted people seeking help said they were unable to access the support they needed, according to the charity.

Sue Armstrong Brown, Adoption UK’s chief executive, said: “All too often these families are being failed by a system which invests heavily in the placement of children for adoption, then fades into the background, often with terrible consequences for the mental health of the children and their adoptive families.”

A lack of support to transition to adult services may “compound problems” for children, the report states, adding that “almost three quarters of parents said their child’s support reduced or ceased when they aged out of services for adolescents.”

Contact with birth families is also cited as having, for some, “devastating consequences for mental health and family stability”.

Last year, 28 per cent of 13- to 18-year-olds had some direct contact with a birth family member outside of any formal agreement, the report states. 

Adoption UK has laid out a six-point plan to improve the life chances of adopted young people, which includes multidisciplinary assessments and support plans for every child placed for adoption and the extension of adoption services to at least age 26.  

Armstrong Brown added: “This year presents real opportunities to reset support for adoptive families. The ongoing review of children’s social care in England and the debate about Covid recovery are all opportunities we must grab if we’re going to give our most vulnerable children an equal chance in life.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We know that the pandemic may have created challenges for adopted children, young people and their families.

“That is why our Adoption Support Fund has been renewed with confirmed funding next year, which has already provided more than 36,400 children with therapeutic support since 2015.

“Schools and colleges are also benefitting from improved mental health and wellbeing support, and an increased number of mental health support teams, which can further help adopted children and young people.”