Fighting for Adopted Children

Alison Bennett MP continues fight to restore therapy funding for adopted children

Liberal Democrat MP Alison Bennett is continuing her campaign to protect vital therapy funding for adopted children and those under special guardianship orders, after government cuts reduced the support available to each child by 40%.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) provides essential therapeutic support for children who have experienced trauma or difficult early life circumstances. Earlier this year, the government renewed the £50 million fund—but reduced the maximum amount each child can receive from £5,000 to £3,000, with assessment costs now included. This means families and therapy providers are being asked to do more with less, even as demand grows.

Since the announcement, Alison has been working with families across Mid Sussex and visiting local therapy providers such as Beacon House in Cuckfield and Jigsaw OT in Burgess Hill to hear first-hand how the changes are affecting them. She has also met with national charities including Kinship and Adoption UK, and the campaign group Action Against ASGSF Changes, all of whom have raised serious concerns about the impact of the cuts.

After earlier appeals to ministers were ignored, Alison successfully secured a Backbench Business Debate in Parliament in September to demand action. On the morning of that debate, the government announced that the ASGSF will be renewed for the 2026/27 financial year and that a public engagement exercise will take place next year—a move widely seen as a response to growing pressure from campaigners and MPs.

Alison welcomed the announcement but warned that more must be done. “Families need stability and certainty, not year-to-year renewals and shrinking budgets,” she said. “When funding per child has been cut by 40%, families are being forced to choose between understanding what a child needs and actually providing the therapy to help them.”

Alison has pledged to keep pushing ministers to restore full funding and ensure that every child who has suffered trauma can access the support they deserve.