Extra £2 million of support available for adoptive families
27 Jun 2014 10:24 AM
Over £2 million of new funding is now
available to help adopted children settle into their new families by accessing
crucial support services.
Ten councils across the
country will use the new money to test drive the new Adoption Support Fund,
giving families better access to essential therapy services as and when they
need it. It will ensure children can benefit fully from being part of a family,
develop a rich social life, a good education and a bright
future.
Some adopted children will have suffered from severe
cases of neglect and abuse and experience a range of difficulties as a direct
result. They may have behavioural issues, eating disorders, several mental
health needs, trust and attachment issues, substance abuse issues, and sadly in
some cases, attempted suicide.
Vital services such as behavioural therapy, play and
music therapy and family support sessions can help children come to terms with
their issues, bond with their family and settle into their new lives. The
sessions allow children to express some of their difficult emotions and help
them manage their own anger and anxieties - giving them the confidence to build
strong relationships with their new families.
Edward Timpson, Minister for Children and Families, who
grew up with 2 adopted brothers, said:
I
know from my own personal experience that some children adopted from care will
have been through terrible ordeals which do not just simply disappear once they
have settled with their new families.
We
want all adoptive families to know help is there for them and their new child
every step of the way. The Adoption Support Fund will help ensure the families
in most need are able to access crucial services when they need
them.
Following the £2 million pilot, a further
£19.3 million will be provided next year to roll out the Adoption Support
Fund nationally, aiming to dramatically improve post-adoption support to
families across the country. Over time, councils, adoption agencies and other
organisations will add money to the pot to provide a constant flow of support
services.
Dr
Carol Homden CBE, Chief Executive of children’s charity Coram,
said:
We
welcome the Adoption Support Fund and the government’s commitment to
enabling greater numbers of adoptive families to have their support needs
met.
Coram has long recognised how important access to
support, such as therapeutic parenting courses and art and music therapy, is in
helping adoptive families develop secure and loving attachments and
thrive.
As
the fund is rolled out we look forward to ways of involving Coram’s
expertise so that post-adoption support is not only more available and
accessible to families, it is also well-evidenced and consistent throughout the
country.
The
Adoption Support Fund is part of a wider package of reforms introduced by the
government through the Children and Families Act, including a faster approval
process so the majority of people are approved within 6 months and new rules so
prospective adopters and children are placed on the adoption register within 3
months.
We
have extended entitlements so that children in care straight through to
adoption have access to priority school admissions, the pupil premium, and,
from September 2014, eligibility for free early education for
2-year-olds.
The Adoption Passport has been published, setting out the rights
and entitlements of adoptive parents, along with new online maps, which allow
potential adopters to find out more information about services in their
area.
We
have also set up First4Adoption, a dedicated information service for people
interested in adopting a child in England.
Notes to editors
- The
10 local authorities are: Newcastle, North Yorkshire, Manchester, Leicester
City, Solihull, Gloucestershire, Cornwall, East Sussex, Hampshire and
Lewisham.
- This trial phase will consider how best to design the
fund, including how to ensure that the fund is accessible to adopters and how
to best incentivise local authorities to invest in the fund.
- Research conducted by Adoption UK in 2012 showed that
many parents remained unaware of their rights and entitlements to support - 81%
of adoptive parents said their needs were identified, yet only 56% were given
the support they needed.
- View the
Adoption Support Fund announcement (September 2013).
- Information about First4Adoption can be found atwww.first4adoption.org.uk/0300 222 0022.
- Find out more about the Children and Families Act.
- Case study family available upon
request.