PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
ADOPTION SUPPORT FUND (2 November 2016)

That this House recognises the valuable role that adoptive families and adoption agencies play in providing a home and a family for adopted children; notes that many adopted children require ongoing therapy and support; welcomes the Government's decision to increase funding for the Adoption Support Fund to £23 million; regrets that the Government has implemented a fair access limit of £5,000 per child until March 2017; further notes that many adopted children have complex needs that require therapy and support that will cost more than this £5,000 limit; notes that local authority funding has been severely cut leaving local authorities unable to fund the support that many adopted children need over and above this £5,000 cap; fears that this limit will therefore lead to vulnerable children missing out on the therapy and the support that they need; notes with concern warnings from the adoption sector that this cap and the lack of support for adopted children in some cases may lead to adoption breakdown and children returning to care, an outcome that would have extremely damaging consequences for the children involved and also place an even greater burden on council budgets; and calls on the Government to clarify the details of any Adoption Support Fund cap or limit from March 2017 and to scrap any such cap or limit.


Sponsored by:
Mr David Lammy (Labour)