Adoptive therapy funding cuts 'cruel' – father

A father has described government cuts to therapy funding for adopted children as "extremely cruel".

Jeremy Wilson, from Somerset, has three adopted children and said if he'd known about the funding, it would have been "so helpful" for their upbringing.

The government announced in April that the adoption and special guardianship support fund would be cut by 40% per child, to £3,000.

The Department for Education said the decisions it had taken "will ensure the fund is financially sustainable to allow more vulnerable children to access targeted support".

Mr Wilson, who lives near Bridgwater, with his wife Clare, said: "Therapy for adopted children is vitally important.

"They have suffered so much harm and damage to get to the point of being adopted – some assistance is vital for their wellbeing.

"I understand the need to balance costs by the government, but at the same time we need to prioritise which services should or shouldn't be cut.

"I think this is an easy option, the adoptive children are part of a forgotten group."

Last year, each eligible child could access £2,500 for specialist assessment and £5,000 for therapy.

But the separate funding for specialist assessment has now been axed and the therapy limit has been cut to £3,000 per year.

Nearly 20,000 children received support through the scheme last year, up from around 13,000 in 2019/20.

Campaigners have said that many of these children rely on therapeutic support to help build secure attachments, increase self confidence, and to identify the necessary support functions needed to be put in place in education and family life.

Alison Woodhead, from Adoption UK, said: "These are kids who have been abused or neglected and these things have a lasting impact.

"The decision to cut this fund is just wrong".

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We know how important this support is to families – and through our Plan for Change, we're committed to ensuring adopted and kinship families continue to receive the help they need to thrive."

It said that the fair access limit has been set at £3,000 for 2025-26, in line with the average cost of services for most families, adding that more than half of therapy applications already fell within this limit in 2024-25.

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