Crawley MP, Henry Smith, has welcomed Government funding support for adoptive parents worth £19.3 million to access the best possible care for children who have often been victims of abuse and neglect.

The Adoption Support Fund will pay for therapeutic services - such as cognitive therapy, play and music therapy, and intensive family support - helping children recover from their previous experiences, bond with their adoptive families and settle into their new lives.

Henry commented:

“The new Adoption Support Fund will be a lifeline for many adoptive families, helping them to access specialist services when their family needs them most. I also hope it will reassure parents thinking about embarking on the hugely rewarding journey of adoption that if challenges do arise, they’ll no longer be left alone to cope.

“Children adopted from care have often lived through terrible experiences which do not just simply disappear once they have settled with their new families.

“Local authorities have a legal duty to assess the type of support new parents will need to help their adopted child yet recent research conducted by Adoption UK shows many parents remain unaware of their rights and entitlements.

“The fund will represent a new approach to how adoption support is delivered. Over time the Government wants to see local authorities, adoption agencies and other organisations contributing to the fund, ensuring that long-term provision of adoption support becomes self-sustaining.”

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