Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the statutory provision of adoption of the closure of First4Adoption on 31 March; and how they plan to fund adoption services thereafter.

First4Adoption has operated under the department’s National Gateway for Adoption contract since its launch in 2012. The contract ends on 31 March 2018.

First4Adoption is an information service for prospective adopters. The government does not expect the contract’s end to impact the statutory provision of adoption. The department intends to ensure that materials developed under the contract remain accessible and free to access so that prospective adopters can still benefit from this information.

Local authorities, Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) and Voluntary Adoption Agencies will continue to provide further advice and information to prospective adopters.

The government funds local authority children’s services, including adoption, through the local government finance settlement. In addition, the government continues to invest in adoption through the development of RAAs, the funding of 16 new Practice Improvement Fund projects and the Adoption Support Fund, which has provided more than £66 million to support thousands of families since launching in May 2015.