Adoption UK has welcomed the launch of a new scheme to support parents adopting harder to place children from the care system.
“It’s all about me” is a new social impact bond service aimed at finding, training and providing on-going support to adoptive families.
Out of the 5,000 children seeking adoption every year, 300 of these are recognised as harder to place either because of their age, ethnicity, or because they are seeking placement with siblings. The social impact bond will fund training in therapeutic parenting, fuller assessment of a child’s needs and round the clock support from social workers.
Hugh Thornbery, Adoption UK Chief Executive said:
“Adoption UK is delighted to welcome a new project that will provide more support to adoptive parents of children that are considered to be more challenging to place. These children are likely to have suffered higher levels of neglect and trauma in their early years, the impacts of which will require a special kind of parenting.
“While it is encouraging that extra support is being provided for those families parenting the most traumatised children, it’s telling that this initiative has been led by the voluntary sector at a time when the Government aims to increase the number of adoptive parents.
“Adoption UK knows from its membership that appropriate support packages are vital for all adoptive families and this is why we are looking to Westminster to do much more than is currently proposed by way of support for all adoptive families as part of its broader adoption reform programme. If the Government was to find a way to deliver this, it would be broadly welcomed and would increase the likelihood that more people will come forward to adopt. Such a move would also provide essential support for those difficult placements that might break down resulting in the trauma and cost of children re-entering the care system.”
