Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund

The MP addresses the Government’s announcement of a year extension as inadequate, stating that families need long-term certainty. He highlights cases where lack of support leads to expensive interventions by local authorities.

Reiterates the need for sustained therapeutic support for traumatised children, mentioning that changes in April have led therapists to stop working with adoptive children due to breaks in support and lower funding.

Shared the story of a constituent named Lisa whose child has complex needs and has not had access to therapy for over four years. The family is now facing uncertainty due to the fund's cap being lowered by 40%, impacting their daughter’s development.

A recent survey found that 71% of children have seen a reduction in therapy sessions due to cuts, leading to an increase in school exclusions and child-on-parent violence. The fair access limit of £3,000 is insufficient for most families.

Dr Al Pinkerton highlights the risk of long-term sustainable funding uncertainties leading to a reduction in available therapies and potentially discouraging people from adopting or taking children into kinship care.

The adoption and special guardianship support fund provides vital support to over 54,000 children but has never been established on a long-term footing, causing anxiety for many families. The delay in announcing the continuation of the fund caused unnecessary fear.

Discussed the Government's commitment to support for children and families through the adoption and special guardianship fund, highlighting its success in helping over 54,000 children.

Jess Brown-Fuller supports Alison Bennett's call for proper assessments, arguing they are essential for long-term healing and cannot be considered optional extras.

Offers a Northern Ireland perspective, highlighting the lack of funding and the benefits of kinship care for children in need. Mentions that research estimates kinship care to be worth £4.3 billion annually.

My hon. Friend echoed concerns about the economic and fiscal consequences of cutting funding for vulnerable children, suggesting alternative ways to make savings.

The adoption and special guardianship support fund has helped thousands of children access necessary therapy, assessments, and care. The cuts to this fund have left families without certainty and stability.

Declared his personal connection with the issue as his family will be using the ASGSF next week. He emphasized the importance of early support for adopted children and urged the Minister to consider multi-year certainty for the fund.

Stressed the importance of the fund in providing essential support for adoptive families and highlighted a case where changes to the ASGSF have halted life story work and affected specialist occupational therapy, leaving vulnerable young adults without necessary care.

Early intervention through the ASGSF is crucial for improving life chances for children in adoptive families. The lack of long-term funding commitment is concerning for parents and guardians.

Families are facing significant challenges in accessing the adoption support fund and post-adoption services. A care package should be a starting point for an adoption placement, not something parents battle for after years of waiting.

Welcomed positive steps from the Government, including making it a legal duty for local authorities to have a kinship care offer. However, she noted that despite these announcements, challenges remain such as varying support levels across different regions.

Discussed the significant pressures on children’s services in Bedford, including high numbers of unrecognised young carers and recent Ofsted warnings about unregistered placements for vulnerable children.

Described how the delay in announcing money for the ASGSF led to a five-month gap in support for a constituent’s adopted child, resulting in increased aggression and disruption. The family has had to use savings to cover the shortfall.

The MP congratulates Alison Bennett on securing the debate and outlines the devastating impact of ASGSF changes, including delays in therapeutic support leading to regression in children's conditions. She calls for long-term commitment from the Government.

Adoptees often face abuse, neglect, violence or unwell parents before being taken into care and placed in a loving home. More than 30% of these young people have self-harmed, highlighting the need for stable support. Asked about the long-term investment for the support fund given the increasing number of children in care and referenced York council's work to halve this figure.

Pays tribute to adoptive parents, foster carers, and kinship carers for their sacrifices in caring for children with complex needs. Criticizes the handling of cuts to the adoption support fund as unacceptable.

Highlights the importance of the adoption and support grant, citing local examples from the Purple Elephant Project in her constituency that has supported over 100 children. Emphasises the anxiety and stress faced by families due to funding cuts.

The ASGSF is a lifeline for vulnerable children who have experienced trauma, neglect or abuse. While the Government has committed to fund it for another year, this does not address the damage already caused by cuts. Questioned the Minister on the contradiction between her earlier promise to ensure support for adopted children and subsequent cuts to the fund.