Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help support adoptive parents of children who have been subject to neglect while under the care of foster parents; and if he will take steps to ensure that (a) local authorities are encouraged to investigate allegations of neglect by foster carers and (b) children with long-term behavioural difficulties which result from such neglect are provided with the support they need.

Local authorities have a duty to assess the support needs of anyone who is affected by an adoption placement. The adoption support fund provides support for essential therapeutic services for eligible adoptive and special guardianship order families, on the basis of assessed need.

As addressed in the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services and in the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, the fostering service must put in place and implement a written policy to safeguard children placed with foster carers from abuse or neglect, that includes the procedures to be followed in the event of such an allegation (regulation 12 and standard 22). Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) is the government’s statutory guidance that provides the framework within which agencies work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

As with all children with behavioural needs, local authorities work with schools and other agencies to ensure that they can access the support for their specific requirements.