The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence (APPGAP) has just launched an inquiry looking into post-adoption support for adoptive and Special Guardianship families. The inquiry includes a survey for children, families and child welfare practitioners.

It would be heartening to see similar funds operating for families who have lost their children to the care system.

The APPGAP, which was set up in February describes itself on Parliament’s Register of APPGs as a group to, “amplify the voices and experiences of children and families engaged in adoption and other forms of permanence to inform parliamentarians and promote the development and implementation of effective policy and practice. To provide an opportunity for the ambitious exploration of innovative solutions to enable adoptive children and families to thrive.”

The Group is sponsored by Adoption UK and Home For Good, who have so far given the APPG around £10,000.

Adoption UK has a page on its website which outlines the purpose of the inquiry in more detail. The page explains that the inquiry has been launched to look at The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) and try to secure a long-term commitment from government for the ASF to fund its therapeutic support for adoptive families.

The inquiry page says that the fund has delivered more than £100m worth of support for around 35,000 families.

As part of the inquiry’s work the APPG is inviting written submissions from adoptees -including children – adopters, social workers, agencies, local authorities and support providers about their engagement with the ASF. The inquiry is particularly keen to hear from children who have engaged with the fund.

The APPG would like insight into the following areas:

• Accessibility of the ASF, including timings and the application process
• Types of support accessed and gaps in support provision
• Long and short-term impacts of support accessed through the fund

The survey for children and young people can be accessed here. 

The survey for adults can be found here. 

Terms of reference for the inquiry can be read here.

If you have any questions or comments you can send them to: info@appgap.org.uk

The deadline for sending in submissions is 24 April, 2019 at noon.