On 1 May 2015 the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) became available to adopters throughout England. The fund was established because many families need some kind of therapeutic support following adoption and too many have struggled to get the help they need in the past. The government has increased funding for the ASF year-on-year.
In October 2016, the Department for Education announced that demand for the ASF was over twice the level forecast and despite increasing funding, it had been forced to take action to limit access to the fund. A 'fair access limit' of £5,000 per child was introduced as well as a match-funding approach whereby local authorities share the cost of support over the fair access limit. Access to match-funding is based on high risk of adoption breakdown among other factors.
For 2017/18 a separate fund of £2,500 will be offered through the ASF when children require specialist assessment before treatment can begin. This will be in addition to the existing £5,000 fair access limit per child.
The Department for Education has invested nearly £200 million in the fund since its introduction in 2015, delivering support to around 50,000 families.
From 1 April 2023, Pupil Premium grant eligibility for pupils who have been adopted from care or have left care will include children adopted from state care or equivalent from outside England and Wales.
We are campaigning for long term funding for adopters in all four nations to make accessing the right support for your family as easy and transparent as possible.