We welcome the Government’s announcement that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will be extended until March 2028, alongside a 10% budget increase to £55 million in 2026/27.

Josh MacAlister, Minister for Children and Families, confirmed the extension to the end of the current Spending Review period and set out plans for wider reform of adoption and kinship support. A 12-week consultation, Adoption Support that Works for All, has also been launched to develop a more integrated, evidence-based and locally led system.

The announcement builds on broader reforms across children’s social care, including the £2.4 billion Families First Partnership programme over the next three years, which is also available to adoptive and kinship families.

Our call to Government

Uncertainty about the sustainability of service funding harms staff retention and needlessly puts services in jeopardy, as well as disrupting support for people who need it most. We believe this move shows the Government’s belief in adoption and kinship support. As such, we urge them to commit to longer-term funding through the ASGSF and a return to the £5,000 per year allowance for eligible families.

Strengthening support for families

Alongside the funding uplift, the Government has outlined several measures aimed at improving access to timely and coordinated support.

From summer 2026, a new parent support offer will be introduced through Adoption England for adoptive parents and special guardians whose children are entering secondary school. The programme will provide universal, targeted and peer-led support at a key transition point, with the aim of strengthening families and preventing challenges from escalating.

In 2026/27, investment will also be made to strengthen Regional Adoption Agency multidisciplinary teams, bringing together social care, health and education professionals to provide more coordinated and evidence-based support.

New three-year pilot

In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care has launched a three-year pilot to enhance mental health support for children in care and their families. The Department for Education will collaborate to ensure adoptive families are included, starting in one geographic area. The pilot will test a fully integrated mental health support model to improve access and coordination.

The Minister said:

“I recognise the importance of setting out a holistic, evidence-based vision for long-term adoption support. That is why I am also launching a consultation on the future reform of adoption and kinship support, including the ASGSF.

“Our ambition is clear: every adopted and eligible kinship child should receive the right support at the right time, delivered through a system that is coherent, compassionate and responsive to their needs.”

Improved access

We have long called for sustained investment in early intervention and improved access to consistent, high-quality mental health support for adopted and kinship children and their families.

Jenny Smith, our Interim Children, Young People and Families Lead,, said:

“We welcome the extension of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund to March 2028 and the 10% increase in funding for 2026/27. This commitment provides much-needed stability for families and the professionals who support them.

A positive step

“Adopted and kinship children are more likely to have experienced trauma, loss and disrupted attachments. Timely access to specialist therapeutic support can make a significant difference to their mental health, wellbeing and life chances. The planned three-year pilot to enhance mental health support for children in care and their families, alongside investment in multidisciplinary working, is a positive step towards more joined-up and accessible services.

“We also welcome the consultation on the future of adoption and kinship support. It is vital that reforms are shaped by evidence and by the voices of children, families and practitioners. A more coherent and preventative system – with a strong emphasis on early help and support at key transition points – will help ensure that children receive the right support, at the right time, wherever they live.

Vital services

“The government clearly believes in these vital services, so we invite them to ensure their stability by committing to a longer-term package of financial support. Yearly funding extensions leave staff in uncertainty and put continuity of care at risk. However, this remains a welcome step, and we will continue to work with stakeholders to advocate for practitioners, children, and families.”

We will review the consultation in detail and engage with members and our partners to inform its response.