Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that (a) administrative and (b) communication support is available to maintain relationships between birth and adoptive families (i) during and (ii) after child adoption processes where safe and appropriate.

Local authorities have a legal duty to provide a comprehensive adoption service.

This specifically includes 'Assistance, including mediation services, in relation to arrangements for contact between an adoptive child and a natural parent, natural sibling, former guardian or a related person of the adoptive child.'

As set out in our ‘Adoption Strategy: achieving excellence everywhere’, the department will be working with Regional Adoption Agencies to develop and trial what good practice around contact looks like, with a view to setting national standards in this area. This will include working closely with birth parents and those with lived experience.