Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Adoption Support Fund; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the fund on (a) adoption breakdown rates and (b) mental health outcomes of children placed in permanent care.
Answered by Josh MacAlister
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department keeps the effectiveness of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) under continual review. The latest evaluation found strong evidence of positive impact: 83% of parents and guardians reported that ASGSF‑funded support was helpful or very helpful, and there were statistically significant improvements by the end of the intervention. Families also reported an average score of seven out of ten six months after support ended. Outcome measurement tools are now strengthening our ability to assess therapeutic progress and longer-term impacts.
Recognising both the positive benefits of the ASGSF and the need to ensure that support for adopted and permanently placed children is as effective as possible, the department launched a public consultation in February 2026, ‘Adoption support that works for all’. This seeks views on how to deliver a more responsive, evidence‑based system of adoption support, including future arrangements for the ASGSF.
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