Adoption support fund now capped for each financial year

[MintyLizzy9]

Just found out that claims are now capped at 4K per year.

I went on a course a few weeks ago that cost around 2k and the recommendation from that was for a 12 month course of theraplay for DS (quoted at 10k). I don't have the money to self fund the course was amazing but if I'd known about the cap I would have left it and used the money for his therapy (the post AO support had mentioned theraplay before my course but suggested I did the course first), SW only called me yesterday to tell me about it.

Working with SS to try and get some funding from elsewhere but I can't believe such a small cap considering the cost of most therapy. DS wouldnt be considered 'high need' so god knows how families and children needing extensive support will cope.

Does anyone do their own theraplay? Could you point me in the right direction of books/videos as I want to do what I can at home as it may be a few months before we get to see anyone!

Thanks

Sorry that should say 5k

As a FC have all support in place for child/baby took 2 years , problem is when child move on or out of area will be come a post code lottery most probable all 6 support OT, Play and so on should be transferred too new LA
or would all have too start again , need assurances of continuity of support
then would be less expensive just using the system as normal.

Thanks for that minty, blinking depressing to hear there is such a small financial cap though. I thought the whole point of the ASF was to provide the support the children needed? Seems stupid, and incredibly short sighted, to put a financial cap on it. Surely it's better in the long run (both emotionally for the child and parents, and financially for the LA) to put money into early intervention and support so that the children won't, hopefully, need massive amounts of support - at significant financial cost - when they are young adults?

It makes me so mad when decisions like this are made. They have no basis in common sense and fail to grasp what seems to me to be a basic principle which is if you invest in children now, you are much more likely to have healthy, happy and productive adults in the future.

Mind you, I shouldn't be surprised by the short sightedness of a decision like this. I'm a month in to waiting for the bloody initial assessment of needs for an ASF application. Apparently they can't tell me how much longer it will be before I get this initial assessment as 'we're short staffed'.

Grrrr. Rant over.

It just goes against the whole reason for having it in the first place! The ASF is being reviewed next year (March I believe) so watch this space, my gut tells me things won't improve.

DS is preschool age, totally agree that a few grand now could be the key to not having lots of expensive interventions in years to come not to mention the impact on his quality of life.

I know it won't make a jot of difference but I'm going to write to my MP today and have a rant!

[http://www.adoptionsupportfund.co.uk/Portals/0/ETASF.pdf]

[www.adoptionsupportfund.co.uk/FAQs]

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www.adoptionsupportfund.co.uk/Portals/0/ETASF.pdf

www.adoptionsupportfund.co.uk/FAQs