Concerns Grow Over the Future of Adoption Support Funding
The Government has rejected a Lords amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would have triggered a review of per-child funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF), despite cuts introduced last April. Critics argue that the decision leaves many adoptive parents and kinship carers struggling to access the assessments and therapy their children need, with the fund described as a vital lifeline.
Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Munira Wilson also questioned the Government’s priorities, pointing to £50 million spent on marketing last year and suggesting some of that money could have helped restore therapeutic support. The wider concern is that current reform proposals, including plans to devolve future therapeutic funding from 2028, could weaken specialist provision and create greater inconsistency for families.
