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Adoption Breakdown 2025-04-03
03 April 2025
Lead MP
Tom Gordon
Debate Type
Adjournment Debate
Tags
NHS
Other Contributors: 11
At a Glance
Tom Gordon raised concerns about adoption breakdown 2025-04-03 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
I am pleased to have secured this debate on the crisis of adopted children leaving their family homes prematurely. Adoption breakdowns can occur days, months or years after an adoption order is signed, reflecting a lack of sustained support from Government post-adoption. Meeting families in my constituency and hearing from others across the country highlights that adoptive parents feel isolated with insufficient support, leading to challenges such as physical aggression, verbal abuse and school exclusions. The trauma experienced by adopted children does not disappear after an adoption order is granted, resulting in complex behavioural, emotional and psychological difficulties. According to Adoption UK, 70% of adoptive families report significant social, emotional and mental health needs in their children, yet post-adoption support remains inadequate. There is a need for better data on the scale of the problem and clearer policies to prevent or respond to adoption breakdowns. Local authorities often fail to offer consistent, tailored support, making it difficult for adoptive parents to navigate these challenges.
Torbay
The hon. Member's points are spot on and the more trauma-informed training we have within schools, the better these young people will be able to be accepted and supported.
Liam Conlon
Lab
Beckenham and Penge
Adoption breakdown leads to significant emotional trauma for children and adoptive parents. There is a need to bring local authorities, Government and families together first to try to prevent adoption breakdown but then take action to support both parents and children.
Sojan Joseph
Lab
Ashford
Without data on the number of parents struggling in constituencies, we cannot identify adopters and support them, risking a future without adoptive families.
Rachael Maskell
Lab/Co-op
York Central
Adoption UK’s adoption barometer shows 42% of families experience challenges or crisis. Families need urgent support with an average wait time of five months, which needs to be reduced.
Josh Newbury
Lab
Cannock Chase
There is a need for better access to holistic support in schools, closer working between psychologists and adoption teams, therapeutic life story workers, and greater training on early trauma and attachment in social work courses.
Shockat Adam
Ind
Leicester South
Under article 20 of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child, children should be looked after by those who respect or represent their ethnicity, culture, religion and language. This is crucial for BAME children being disproportionately represented and vulnerable.
Chris Bloore
Lab
Redditch
The hon. Member for Redditch supports the debate by referencing a report detailing failures in supporting adoptive parents across England, highlighting that bureaucratic issues and lack of support often drive families away from adoption.
Bobby Dean
LD
Carshalton and Wallington
The hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington notes that a named person supporting adoptive parents is crucial but has been lost due to local authority mergers, leading to higher adoption breakdown rates.
Steve Darling
Lib Dem
Torbay
Asked about the charity Home for Good, which uses faith-based groups to support families through fostering or adoption.
Inquired about ensuring more open adoptions and managing contact between adopted children and their birth parents.
Suggested having a designated lead within local authorities to ensure support for adoptive families.
Government Response
The Minister acknowledges the significant issue of adoption breakdowns and the challenges faced by adoptive families. They highlight the importance of ongoing support and training for schools, local authorities, and social workers to better understand and address the needs of adopted children. The Government is committed to improving data collection on adoption disruptions to provide a clearer picture of the scale of the problem. They have allocated £10 million in funding to improve post-adoption support services, including access to counselling, educational support, respite care, and training for professionals. A new initiative called 'Safe Families' will be launched soon, aimed at providing targeted support to high-risk families to prevent adoption breakdowns. The Minister emphasises the need for clearer policies and guidelines on the handling of adoption disruptions and advocates for a more supportive approach from local authorities towards adoptive parents facing challenges. The Minister acknowledges the challenges faced by adoptive families in England and recognises the importance of ensuring that these families receive the necessary support. She emphasises that local authorities have a legal obligation to provide such support and highlights the government's commitment to improving this service through additional funding announced earlier in the week. The minister commits to working closely with local authorities to address delays in accessing funds and support, aiming to prevent future crises. She also mentions the need for better training for professionals who work with adoptive families to ensure they are equipped to handle the unique challenges these families face. Furthermore, she pledges to review the current system to provide a more comprehensive approach to post-adoption care, including extending services up to age 26 and ensuring regular follow-up opportunities for all adoptive families. Acknowledged the concerns raised and emphasised that supporting adoptive families is a priority. Mentioned research on adoption disruption funded by the Government, stressing the need for better data collection and analysis to improve understanding of adoption breakdowns. Committed to improving post-adoption support services through initiatives like Adoption England's framework for early support core offer, funding for multidisciplinary teams in regional adoption agencies, and continuation of the adoption and special guardianship support fund with £50 million budget this year. Discussed measures for educational outcomes, including priority school admissions and pupil premium plus funds for adopted children. Highlighted plans to update statutory guidance for virtual school heads to better support adopted children's educational needs.
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