Consultation on proposed changes to financial support for adoptive families

Background

Financial support

When a child is being adopted by a family, we can do a financial assessment, if the family asks for it. This is so we can see if they will need financial support from us to help with the costs of raising the child. If we think the family should have financial support, we then review this every year to see if there have been any changes to the child's needs, or changes to how much is earned and spent in the household.  

An adoptive family can ask for a financial assessment to be done or re-done at any time. We provide financial support to adoptive families to:  

• make sure the adoptive parents can look after the child 
• support a child with special care needs, for example, illness, disability, emotional or behavioural difficulties
• support a child who experienced abuse or neglect in the past, where that is still having an impact on them now
• help with special placement arrangements, for example linked to their age, ethnic origin, placement with brothers, sisters, or a child they have previously shared a home with 
• help with travel costs for visits between the child and a brother or sister 

Why we are reviewing the financial support

We need to: 

• make sure that financial support is focused on the needs of the adopted child
• make sure that financial support is given to those families who need it most
• improve the fairness of the financial support we provide to adoptive families 
• provide clear and consistent criteria so that adoptive parents can understand who can get the financial support and what it is for 
• make sure our support is worked out and offered in the same way as Together for Children (Sunderland), who we form the Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) with - this work is part of our continued development as an RAA

What we are consulting on

We would like to change two things about the financial support for adoptive families.

Financial support calculation

At the moment, we look at how much a family earns and spends, to work out their disposable income. We use that figure to work out if we can offer them financial support.

We are suggesting that we change this, and base our decision on the household's actual income, so how much they earn before they spend anything. This financial support will be reviewed each year, which means it can go down as well as up, depending on both the needs of the child and the financial resources of the family. 

Keeping in Touch costs

We would like to offer all adoptive families some money towards helping their child keep in touch with their birth family. This funding would not be based on how much a family earns. This extra funding is to help adoptive families meet the costs of a child making visits to an adopted brother or sister living with another adoptive family. 

The costs must be approved by us, in advance, and include things like petrol, second class rail travel (with a family rail card) and should distance require it, overnight accommodation. Receipts must be provided, and we generally pay you the money after the journey has been made.

Have your say

What happens next

The results of the consultation will be included in a report which will be considered as part of Durham County Council's decision-making processes. We will announce the outcome in late 2024 and there will be no changes to the current process before then.