Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve access to mental health services for adopted children and their families.

The department is investing £55 million in 2026/2027, a 10% increase, in the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, which provides support to address mental health challenges.

We are considering responses to our consultation ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’, which closed on 5 May and asks what works to improve adopted children’s mental health.

The consultation explains that we are funding Regional Adoption Agencies to pilot multi-disciplinary teams that bring together social care, health and educational partners to deliver assessment and support to adopted children and families, including access to mental health services.

We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care to pilot mental health support, including support for adoptive families. This will test a fully integrated model of mental health support for all children and families involved with children’s social care when they need it. Expressions of interest were invited from Integrated Care Boards by 1 September.