DETAILS OF THE ADOPTION SUPPORT FUND 2015

1. STRICTLY EMBARGOED TO 0001 SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER
PRESS NOTICE
15 November 2014
£19 MILLION OF SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTIVE FAMILIES
Over £19 million of new funding will be available to help adoptive families across the country
settle their children into their new home, the government has announced today.
The Adoption Support Fund – to be rolled out nationwide from May next year after extremely
successful pilots across ten councils – helps pay for essential therapy services for adoptive
families as and when they need it.
Many adopted children have experienced difficult and traumatic experiences before being
placed with their forever family which can prevent them from settling in to their new home
and can create difficulties at particular stages such as adolescence.
Services such as behavioural therapy, play and music therapy and family support sessions
can help children come to terms with their difficulties - giving them the confidence to build
strong relationships with their new family.
Minister for Children and Families, Edward Timpson, who grew up with two adopted
brothers, said:
“I know as much as anyone that children adopted from care have often lived through
terrible experiences which do not just simply disappear overnight once they have
settled with their new families.
“The new Adoption Support Fund will be a vital lifeline for many adoptive families,
helping them to access specialist support services when their family needs them
most.
“I also hope today’s news reassures all adoptive families, from those who have been
adopting for years to those just at the beginning of the journey, that if challenges do
arise they will not be left on their own to muddle through – support will be there every
step of the way.”
Following successful pilots across the country, the fund will be used to support adopted
children and young people up until and including the age of 18. Support from the fund will be
available after the Adoption Order, and can be used to purchase services from the private
and voluntary sector as well as councils and Child and Adult Mental Health Services
(CAMHS).
The government will fully fund the Adoption Support Fund in the first year, whilst committing
in the long term to the pot being jointly funded by councils and government.
Hugh Thornbery CEO Adoption UK and Chair of the Adoption Support Fund Expert Advisory
Group said:
“Adoption UK welcomes the Minister’s announcement of the rollout of the Adoption
Support Fund from 1 May 2015.

2. “We are pleased that the Government has risen to the challenge and we are now in a
position where we better understand and can meet the challenges faced by adoptive
families. Because of their early childhood experiences, many adopted children may
have additional needs. The role adoptive parents play in re-parenting these
vulnerable children is massively important.
“Robust plans and new money are now in place to ensure that all adoptive families
get the therapeutic services they need, when they need them.”
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 six months and new rules so prospective adopters
and children are placed on the adoption register within three months. These reforms have
resulted in a record high in adoptions over the last 12 months.
The government has also:
 extended entitlements so that children in care straight through to adoption have
access to priority school admissions, the pupil premiums, and, from September 2014,
eligibility for free early education for two-year-olds;
 published the Adoption Passport which sets 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;
 set up First4Adoption, a dedicated information service for people interested in
adopting a child in England.
Notes to Editor:
1. The government will be paying for all of the Adoption Support Fund in the first year,
whilst committing in the long term to this being jointly funded by LAs and central
government.
2. The 10 local authorities that piloted the fund included Newcastle, North Yorkshire,
Manchester, Leicester City, Solihull, Gloucestershire, Cornwall, East Sussex,
Hampshire and Lewisham.
3. For more information on the ASF please visit First4Adoption