Latest news with #JanetDaby
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Government cuts therapy funding for adopted children
The government is facing a backlash for "slipping out" cuts to the amount that families can access for adopted children to have therapy. The Fair Access Limit (FAL) will be reduced from £5,000 to £3,000 as part of a package of changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Fund (ASGF), which helped nearly 20,000 children last year. Politics Live: The cuts were confirmed in an email to the sector over parliament's Easter recess rather than through a formal announcement. The email, seen by Sky News, says the ASGF will continue from April 2025 with a budget of £50m, the same as last year, but there will be changes to how it is allocated. This includes cutting the limit of grants for therapy by 40% and scrapping a separate allowance of £2,500 for specialist assessments. Specialist assessments up to the level of £2,500 will be considered for funding, but only within the overall limit of £3,000. In addition, the government will no longer match fund more expensive therapy above the limits. The letter said: "We recognise that this is a significant change, but it is being made to ensure that the funding can continue to support as many families as possible. "The Adoption and Special Guardianship Fund will still enable those eligible to access a significant package of therapeutic support, tailored to meet their individual needs." The ASGF helped 16,333 children in the year 2023/24, up from 14,862 the previous financial year. 'Deep concerns' Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson criticised the government for "slipping out" the changes during recess, despite her raising an urgent question in the Commons on 1 April over whether the funding would continue. At the time, children and families minister Janet Daby responded to confirm £50m had been allocated overall and apologised for the delay in saying so, but didn't mention the cuts. The future of the ASGF had been in doubt up until then, as it was due to run out in March 2025. In a letter to Education Secretary , Ms Wilson said it is "unacceptable the government took so long to confirm the fund and even more unacceptable that MPs were provided with incomplete information". She called on ministers to reverse the "deeply concerning" cuts, saying she and her parliamentary colleagues have been contacted by constituents "sharing the deeply traumatic stories children in their care have experienced". She said the changes will have a "huge impact on the quality of life" for vulnerable children and even in light of the fiscal challenges "cannot be justified". 'Most adopted children have suffered abuse or neglect' Charities have also hit out at the government with Adoption UK saying the decision is a consequence of "belt tightening across government". The organisation says around 3,000 children in England are placed in adoptive families each year, and most have suffered abuse, neglect, or violence and spend an average of 15 months in care before adoption - so need therapy for most of their life. CEO Emily Frith said: "These decisions will have a direct impact on children and young people who have had a very tough start in life and deserve the same chance to thrive as everyone else. "It's very short-sighted at a time when there are more adoptive families in crisis than ever before, and distressing news for everyone who has already faced an agonising wait to find out whether the fund will continue to exist at all." Kinship, which supports people who step in to raise a friend or family member's child, warned 13% of carers are concerned about their ability to carry on because of behavioural difficulties stemming from trauma and loss, so the cuts risk family breakdowns and "children entering an already overstretched care system". Both charities called on the government to rethink the changes at the June Spending Review, when Chancellor will set out her plans for spending and key public sector reforms for future years. Ms Reeves is under pressure after announcing a , after poor economic growth and global instability wiped out her fiscal headroom. The chancellor is determined to keep the headroom as part of her self-imposed fiscal rules, which require day-to-day spending to be met through tax receipts rather than borrowing. But there is concern the headroom is even more fragile amid , meaning further cuts or tax rises could be on the cards. The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
Sky News
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Government cuts therapy funding for adopted children
The government is facing a backlash for "slipping out" cuts to the amount that families can access for adopted children to have therapy. The Fair Access Limit (FAL) will be reduced from £5,000 to £3,000 as part of a package of changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Fund (ASGF), which helped nearly 20,000 children last year. The cuts were confirmed in an email to the sector over parliament's Easter recess rather than through a formal announcement. The email, seen by Sky News, says the ASGF will continue from April 2025 with a budget of £50m, the same as last year, but there will be changes to how it is allocated. This includes cutting the limit of grants for therapy by 40% and scrapping a separate allowance of £2,500 for specialist assessments. Specialist assessments up to the level of £2,500 will be considered for funding, but only within the overall limit of £3,000. In addition, the government will no longer match fund more expensive therapy above the limits. The letter said: "We recognise that this is a significant change, but it is being made to ensure that the funding can continue to support as many families as possible. "The Adoption and Special Guardianship Fund will still enable those eligible to access a significant package of therapeutic support, tailored to meet their individual needs." The ASGF helped 16,333 children in the year 2023/24, up from 14,862 the previous financial year. 'Deep concerns' Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson criticised the government for "slipping out" the changes during recess, despite her raising an urgent question in the Commons on 1 April over whether the funding would continue. At the time, children and families minister Janet Daby responded to confirm £50m had been allocated overall and apologised for the delay in saying so, but didn't mention the cuts. The future of the ASGF had been in doubt up until then, as it was due to run out in March 2025. In a letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Ms Wilson said it is "unacceptable the government took so long to confirm the fund and even more unacceptable that MPs were provided with incomplete information". She called on ministers to reverse the "deeply concerning" cuts, saying she and her parliamentary colleagues have been contacted by constituents "sharing the deeply traumatic stories children in their care have experienced". She said the changes will have a "huge impact on the quality of life" for vulnerable children and even in light of the fiscal challenges "cannot be justified". Charities have also hit out at the government with Adoption UK saying the decision is a consequence of "belt tightening across government". The organisation says around 3,000 children in England are placed in adoptive families each year, and most have suffered abuse, neglect, or violence and spend an average of 15 months in care before adoption - so need therapy for most of their life. CEO Emily Frith said: "These decisions will have a direct impact on children and young people who have had a very tough start in life and deserve the same chance to thrive as everyone else. "It's very short-sighted at a time when there are more adoptive families in crisis than ever before, and distressing news for everyone who has already faced an agonising wait to find out whether the fund will continue to exist at all." Kinship, which supports people who step in to raise a friend or family member's child, warned 13% of carers are concerned about their ability to carry on because of behavioural difficulties stemming from trauma and loss, so the cuts risk family breakdowns and "children entering an already overstretched care system". Both charities called on the government to rethink the changes at the June Spending Review, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves will set out her plans for spending and key public sector reforms for future years. Ms Reeves is under pressure after announcing a raft of cuts in her spring statement, after poor economic growth and global instability wiped out her fiscal headroom. The chancellor is determined to keep the headroom as part of her self-imposed fiscal rules, which require day-to-day spending to be met through tax receipts rather than borrowing. But there is concern the headroom is even more fragile amid Donald Trump's global trade tariffs, meaning further cuts or tax rises could be on the cards.
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Backlash over 'distressing' cuts to adoption fund
Charities have criticised the government for cutting the amount of funding families in England can access to pay for therapy for adopted children by 40%.Adoption UK said the news was "distressing" for families, who had already faced "an agonising wait" to find out whether the adoption and special guardian support fund would year each eligible child could access £2,500 for specialist assessment and £5,000 for therapy. But the therapy limit has now been cut to £3,000 per year, while separate funding for specialist assessment has been government said the move would "ensure the fund is financially sustainable to allow more vulnerable children to access targeted support". In an email to stakeholders, seen by the BBC, the Department for Education said the "difficult decision" came as demand for the fund "continues to grow significantly".Nearly 53,000 children have received support through the fund since it began in 2015. The future of the fund had been in doubt, until the government confirmed at the last minute that it would continue in 2025/26. In response to an urgent question in the House of Commons on 1 April - the day after the fund expired - Children and Families Minister Janet Daby said £50m had been allocated for this year. The overall funding for the scheme remains the same as last Adoption UK said the cut in the amount available per child would have "a direct impact on children and young people who have had a very tough start in life".The charity's chief executive, Emily Frith, said the decision was "very short-sighted at a time when there are more adoptive families in crisis than ever before". Families 'in disbelief' Louisa - not her real name - has used the fund to provide therapy for her two adopted sons and said it "changed our lives". "Without it, we fear for their future, their ability to function in the world, attend school, be safe to others and themselves, and for our family stability," she told the BBC. Louisa said her own family and others affected were "anxious, fearful, sad and in disbelief at what [the cut] means for their children".For the last two years, her eldest has used the maximum allocation of funding for had already been forced to stop his therapy sessions at the end of January because future funding had not been confirmed, leaving the family in "limbo" and "watching the decline in front of our eyes". Louisa said this meant he had not been able to attend school full-time and she feared he would continue to go backwards if he could no longer get the same level of support. She is also concerned that after her youngest has a specialist assessment, there will be little funding left for therapy. Liberal Democrat spokesperson for education, children and families Munira Wilson has written to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson calling on her to reverse the cuts. Wilson said she was "extremely disappointed" the government had "slipped out" the announcement over the Easter break. In her letter, she said the cuts were causing "immense worry and stress" for families and "cannot be justified". The charity Kinship, which represents friends and families who step in to raise a child when parents are not able to, said the news was a "further blow", after therapy had been disrupted by the delay in renewing the scheme. Chief executive Dr Lucy Peake said the government's "confused and ill-considered approach" of boosting awareness of the scheme but not supporting this with extra funding "risks pushing more families to breaking point". Charities said the announcement would mean further delays for families trying to access therapy, while adoption agencies made adjustments to funding applications. The fund is available for adopted children and young people up to the age of 21, as well as those aged up to 25 if they have an education, health and care plan. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Adoption fund to continue after families 'left in limbo'
A fund to provide therapy for adopted children will continue, the government has confirmed, after families criticised uncertainty over its future. Families had been calling for clarity for months about the adoption and special guardian support fund, which expired on and Families Minister Janet Daby recognised the delay had caused "a very difficult time" for many people but said £50m had been allocated for the fund for this year. MPs welcomed the announcement, but said the delay had left families "in limbo", with some therapy stopped and services closed because of the did not confirm when applications for the fund would reopen. In response to an urgent question from Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson in the House of Commons, Daby said she regretted the delay in announcing the continuation of the fund. She added: "We will be announcing further details to the House in the coming days and opening applications to families and children across our country as soon as we can".The fund, which was established in 2015, is available for adopted children and young people up to the age of 21, as well as those aged up to 25 if they have an education, health and care plan. Each eligible child can access £2,500 for specialist assessment and £5,000 for therapy. Wilson said MPs had been asking for months about the future of the fund but had been "batted away". She said one of her constituents had told her how her daughter had "started to regress" since her last therapy programme had ended, while some providers had resorted to fundraising to continue to offer support. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott described the situation as "utterly chaotic". "It is utterly extraordinary that today we've had to summon the government to the chamber to provide clarity on whether they've axed a programme which ended yesterday and supports 20,000 of our most vulnerable young people," she said."The government have been given lots of opportunities to clarify the funding situation." Lisa Mainwaring, an adoptive parent based in south-east England, has been using the fund for several years, since her children, now eight and five years old, came into her care. She described the fund and the support it provides as "revolutionary", telling the BBC: "I'm not sure that we'd be together as a family without it".The uncertainty over the future of the fund left Lisa in a difficult position. After a "complete scramble" to get the application for her eldest son submitted through the council by the deadline, her youngest did not receive the assessment needed to apply for the fund before the cut-off means she does not know when he will start receiving therapy. Lisa called on the government to apologise over the stress and uncertainty the delayed announcement had caused. "Parenting a child who has been adopted is hard enough," she said."It's stressful, and we've gone into this with full compassion in our hearts. We really want to help."Alison Woodhead, from the charity Adoption UK, said: "It's an enormous relief that the fund has been confirmed for another year, at the same level as last year."However, she called for the fund to be permanent to "prevent the distress this delay has caused from ever happening again". The charity said dithering over the fund had prompted some providers to seek work elsewhere, meaning many families will now face longer waits for support because of a backlog of applications. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
The Independent
01-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Government announces £50m for adoption fund after concerns over delay
The Government has announced it will continue to fund therapeutic services for families of vulnerable and adopted children, as it allocated £50 million to the adoption and special guardian support fund (ASGSF). MPs from across the House criticised the Government for the delayed announcement, accusing it of leaving children who have experienced 'the deepest trauma' in 'limbo'. Education minister Janet Daby recognised it has been a 'difficult time' for those who access the support, and said she regretted the delay in allocating funding for the scheme for the 2025/26 financial year. Families of adopted children and families with a special guardianship order (SGO) or a child arrangement order (CAO) in place wanting to access therapy can request funding through local authorities or regional adoption agencies. Responding to an urgent question on the fund, Ms Daby said: 'I very much appreciate that the delay in confirming continuation of this fund has been a very difficult time for many, and I am especially concerned about children and families, because many of those whom the adoption special guardianship support fund supports are in great need of help and in need of continued help. 'I do also recognise that there has been an impact on providers of therapy who have not been able to plan and prepare for the year ahead in the way they would have liked. 'However, the department has been clear with local authorities and regional adoption agencies about transitional funding arrangements, which means that therapy which started in the last financial year can continue into 2025/26, even ahead of full 25/26 budget announcements. 'Appropriate transitional funding has been agreed for a significant number of children. 'I do regret the delay in making this announcement, but I'm very happy to confirm that today that £50 million has been allocated for the adoption and special guardianship support fund this year. 'We will be announcing further details to the House in the coming days and opening applications to families and children across our country as soon as we can.' Asking the urgent question, Liberal Democrat education, children and families spokeswoman Munira Wilson said families had been 'left hanging and in limbo'. The Twickenham MP added: 'Many members on all sides of the chamber have spent the last few months asking question after question and being batted away, time after time, that answers will be forthcoming. 'Yet this vital fund is there to help those most vulnerable children who have experienced the deepest trauma.' Ms Daby said she 'recognises the potential impact on children and families'. Labour MP Rachael Maskell described the delay as a 'tragedy' because 'many services have closed and people's therapy (has) been stopped as a result of this hiatus in funding'. The York Central MP added: 'Will she ensure that those people impacted by this gap in the funding will be able to have additional support for the trauma that it could have caused to those young people? And will she ensure that the Treasury sign off funding ahead of deadlines when funding ends?' Ms Daby said the Government is 'committed' to adopted children and 'will continue to work together to make sure sufficient funding is in place and is more timely'. Labour MP Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) also pressed the Government to 'guarantee that this doesn't happen again'. Ms Daby said the Government 'will continue to support local authorities' to fulfil their statutory duty to have support services in place for adopted children. Shadow education secretary Laura Trott questioned why the Government had not confirmed the funding sooner. She said: 'It is utterly extraordinary that today we have had to summon the Government to the chamber to provide clarity on whether they have axed the programme which ended yesterday – so we thought – and supports 20,000 of our most vulnerable young people.' Responding, Ms Daby said applications would be open 'as soon as possible'. The Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, Steve Darling, who was himself put up for adoption, said the information on the continuation of the fund had been dragged from the minister 'kicking and screaming'. He said: 'The world is a much more complex place and children are so much more likely to have had adverse childhood experiences and then need this funding. 'One had hoped that after the general election, the adults were back in the room. Can the minister assure this chamber that the funding will continue for year after year after year?' Ms Daby replied: 'This Government has no plans to prevent this funding at this time from continuing.' Gareth Snell, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, asked the minister to clarify if there would be 'a slight expansion of the remit of the fund so that it can help more people in kinship care', telling MPs that he had been raised in a kinship care setting. Ms Daby said the Government is not 'looking to expand this fund' but that the funding announced would also be available to kinship carers. The Labour MP for Cannock Chase, Josh Newbury, said he is an adoptive parent and foster carer and called for 'timely decision-making when it comes to support for vulnerable children and young people so that there's continuity of support'. The minister said she agreed decisions needed to be made 'in a timely fashion' and she appreciates 'the concern that delay in this announcement has caused'.
