EDM: Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund 2026-27

Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund 2026-27

Tabled by Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat) 22 signatures

The motion

That this House welcomes the decision to continue the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund until March 2028, providing longer-term certainty to adoptive and kinship families; notes, however, with concern that the fair access limit remains at £3,000 per child per year, reduced from £5,000 in 2024-25, representing a significant real-terms cut; further notes that this reduction risks limiting access to specialist trauma-informed therapeutic support for children and young people who have experienced abuse, neglect and fragmented care pathways; regrets the decision not to uprate the fair access limit in line with inflation; recognises that where needs exceed the £3,000 threshold, local authorities are expected to meet additional costs, placing further pressure on already stretched children’s services budgets; and calls on the Government to review the fair access limit to ensure that funding reflects both inflation and the level of therapeutic need among adopted and kinship children.

Signatories (22)