Worries Increase About Adoption Interruptions from Therapy Funding Reductions
Adoptive families have warned the government that these particular cuts to therapy for children would increase the rate of adoption surrenders. In April, the government came out declaring a 40% reduction will be in the money allocated per child for therapy through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
One mother from Tyneside said that less therapy would affect her family really badly. The Department for Education said that a lowering of the amount of money that can be drawn for any one child would allow more children to access the fund.
Caroline explained, "The older he got, the angrier he was. He would throw things around the house. He would throw things at the walls, he would break things, and he would even get violent." She explained, "Continued therapy through the funding has been a really big help. Now, sometimes he cries, which may seem bad, but really, it means he's starting to feel his feelings and knows it's okay to be sad and not everything has to be anger."
Caroline broke down in tears when she found out about the cuts. "I just can't bear to lose that support," the mother said. She fears that without it, no one will know how to help her son. "I never want him to leave this family because he is this family. But we can't live with him smashing up the house or hurting us all the time. There's a breaking point, and I don't want to reach that.'
When a parent takes in a child, they don't get more money help like other homes, but they can use the ASGSF to pay for special care their kid needs. This care comes in many ways and can help kids from new homes deal with hard things like bad past times and rough acts.
Groups for these homes say cutting funds is a bad idea. The Potato Group, led by Euan Preston from Northumberland, says that the needs of these kids will impact other areas—schools, young justice, and mental health. "I often talk with moms and dads who feel they can't go on and the kid might have to leave their home for safety," he noted. He also said people think these homes should pay for care, but the special type of help is too much for most to afford.
Experts who give top care in their field said that cuts in funds hit their pay fast. "It's like telling a family doctor to take a big pay cut or see many more people," Sarah Clarke, a worker from North Tyneside, said. She noted that the care given by these pros is key for lots of kids who were adopted. "They need a care bond that grows over many years," she said. "You can't build that in just a few short meetings. It barely starts to help."
Tom Gordon, a Liberal Democrat MP, said, "In terms of right and wrong, it's very bad, and it's costly too. If adoptions fail, it could cost towns a lot of cash, maybe even more."
A person speaking for DfE said, "We put £50m into the fund for Adoption and Carer Support to keep it going for another year." The choices we made will help make sure the fund can last and help more kids who need it most."
