Welcome

Welcome to the second in a series of Adoption Support Fund (ASF) e-newsletters. This newsletter is brought to you by Adoption UK and is designed to be a source of useful information about the Adoption Support Fund.

Over the next few months we will be bringing you news, views and information that should help make clear what is available through the fund. For those new to the ASF this link is a good starting point.

The Adoption Support Fund was launched by the Department for Education on 1 May 2015. £19 million was set aside to help adopters in England whose children need therapeutic interventions and support.

This newsletter aims to help you understand your rights, what you can expect from your local authority and what the fund can pay for.

We would also like to ask you the occasional question about your experiences of the ASF and this month we would appreciate your answers to: What is your main priority in terms of support for your child in school? Simply click through and tick the box that is relevant to you. Thank you.

What's new

News
The Adoption Support Fund will continue with increased funding in 2016-2017. Full details will be released in the New Year but you can read more about the announcement here.

Stats
So far (as of 2 December) 1,809 applications have been approved to receive funding through the ASF. Other statistics including those relating to the ages of children supported and the types of therapies funded can be found on the link below.

More figures relating to the Adoption Support Fund

Your questions answered

Here we share some FAQs from adopters about the ASF
Q: If I am five years post-adoption can I apply for therapeutic support via the Adoption Support Fund?

Q: My teenage son's 18th birthday is three months away. Can I still apply for support from the fund?

Q: What is the deadline for my application?

See all the answers here

What parents think of the Adoption Support Fund

Families have used the Adoption Support Fund to benefit from a range of therapies in a number of different ways. In this section of the newsletter we share parents' experiences of accessing the fund and find out how it has helped.

Adoptive parents Steve and Gill were able to receive Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy with the support of Gloucestershire County Council to help with issues surrounding the behaviour of their teenage son.

The couple were on the verge of placing their son in foster care but assistance gained through the Adoption Support Fund helped avoid this situation.

Read Steve and Gill's story

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