Adoption Fund Cuts: Why Consistent, Therapeutic Support Matters More Than Ever 

The Department for Education’s recent decision to cut therapy funding for adopted children is a body blow for thousands of families. 

The Fair Access Limit (FAL) will be slashed from £5,000 to £3,000 as part of a raft of changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF), which helped almost 20,000 children last year. 

Another change will see the ASGSF no longer match fund more expensive support packages above the FAL. Previously it paid 50 per cent of the cost of annual therapy up to a maximum of £30,000 for higher risk cases, with councils funding the rest. 

Families will also no longer be able to benefit from a separate allowance of £2,500 to fund specialist assessments over and above any funding for therapy.  

The cuts go beyond a quick money-saving exercise 

The Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) called the cuts “short-sighted” with chief executive Satwinder Sandhu adding: “Unresolved trauma, adopter/carer burnout and family instability do not save money – they lead to greater costs to society down the line.” 

While this funding cut – made against a backdrop of rising demand and a finite budget – applies directly to adoptive and special guardianship families, at Mosaic Foster Care we believe its implications are much broader. 

Read our blog – What Is The Difference Between Fostering And Adoption? – here. 

As this month’s Foster Care Fortnight (May 12-25) shines a light on the power of fostering to transform lives, the cuts reignite a crucial conversation about the importance of reliable, therapeutic support for children and the families supporting them. 

Therapeutic support is more than a line on a budget report 

Greg De Smidt, Registered Fostering Manager at Mosaic, said: “For care-experienced children, therapeutic support isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity.  

“Without it, placement breakdowns become more likely. Families can find themselves overwhelmed, unsupported, and exhausted. Children who have already lived through unimaginable instability may find themselves re-entering a care system that is already stretched. 

“The true cost of these cuts won’t be measured solely in budget reports. It will be seen in disrupted attachments, mental health crises and long-term impacts on the wellbeing of children and carers alike.” 

Mosaic Foster Care’s approach puts therapeutic support front and centre 

At Mosaic Foster Care, we believe consistent, trauma-informed support should be built into the foundation of every placement. That’s why we operate with a fully integrated therapeutic model, providing foster families with rapid, tailored, expert support from day one – not left waiting months to access vital services like many adopters and foster parents are. 

Our approach includes: 

• Direct access to clinical psychologists and therapeutic practitioners. 

• Continuous professional development for foster parents. 

• A long-term commitment to each placement, ensuring children have the chance to build trust and benefit from stability over time. 

• Child-centre therapeutic treatment plans informed by assessments of needs and strengths for every child. 

Unlike systems dependent on external or annually capped funding, Mosaic’s model ensures help is always available, not just when budgets allow. This is why our long term fully supported fostering model, where young people have the opportunity to stay with their foster family beyond 18 through the ‘Staying Put’ arrangement, offers a real alternative to adoption. 

Why integrated support matters for long-term success 

What makes Mosaic different is our belief in sustainability. We don’t treat therapeutic support as an add-on or a crisis response. It’s central to everything we do.  

That consistency means our foster parents are never left to manage complex behaviours alone, and our children benefit from uninterrupted, responsive care. 

Research and experience tell us: therapeutic input works best when it’s steady, predictable, and built on relationships. Our foster families don’t have to worry about reapplying for funding each year or losing access to key support. That assurance is a key reason why Mosaic placements are more stable and successful over the long term. 

Read our blog – Therapeutic Fostering With Mosaic Foster Care – here. 

Moving forward with hope 

In a time of shrinking budgets and rising needs, we must ask: what kind of care do we want for our most vulnerable children? At Mosaic Foster Care, our answer is clear: one that offers safety, healing and permanence. 

We recognise the challenges that local authorities and adoption agencies face, and we welcome any effort to broaden access to therapeutic support.  

But we also believe that real, lasting impact comes from models that put support at the centre, not the margins. 

As families adjust to these funding changes, it’s more important than ever to shine a light on approaches that work. Mosaic Foster Care is proud to be one of them. 

Read all about how we support our foster parents here – or talk to a foster parent today.