Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve (a) early intervention and (b) post-adoption support for (i) adoptive parents and (ii) local authorities.

The government’s goal is to ensure all adoptive families receive ongoing support from the moment the child is placed with them and throughout their childhood, delivering on the government’s mission to provide all children with the best start in life and breaking down barriers to opportunity.

The department has recently announced funding of £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services, including adoption support. This includes supporting regional adoption agencies (RAAs) to provide an early support core offer for all families in the first 12 to 18 months after an adoption placement, as well as providing families with a new adoption support plan to give them information and guidance, including how they can access help.

Adoption England will be supporting RAAs to develop and make sustainable Centres of Excellence with local health partners, so families receive holistic assessment and packages of support.

They will also be supporting RAAs to put in place services that can respond quickly and more effectively to adoptive families in crisis.

The government will be providing therapeutic support to adoptive children via the £50 million adoption and special guardianship support fund. Local authorities and RAAs can apply for funding of up to £3,000 per child.

Adoptive families can also receive help from local authority Family Help services. The government is doubling investment in these services to over £500 million in the 2025/26 financial year.