Support fund for adoptive families to receive £5m increase

The APPG for Adoption and Permanence is delighted that lifesaving support for adoptive families in England is to be boosted by an extra £5 million injection next year - but the group warns a long-term commitment is still crucial.

Thousands more adoptive families and special guardians are set to benefit from additional support after it was announced that investment in the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) will be increased from £40m this year, to £45m next year (2020-21).

 The government has to date invested nearly £200 million in the ASF since its inception in 2015, helping around 50,000 adoptive families across England.

The fund provides adopted children and their parents with a range of therapeutic support. Adopted children are among the most complex and vulnerable in society as they have often suffered serious neglect or abuse in their early lives. These children can require intensive therapy and support to help them thrive.