Consultations On Support For Adoptive Families And Young Care Leavers

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced two new public consultations on policy proposals to inform the drafting of regulations to provide much needed support to adoptive families and young people who have left care.

The regulations will be part of the phased implementation of the Adoption and Children Act, which became law on 27 April 2022. A key element of the Act is that it enables support to be provided to some of our most vulnerable children and their families.

The first consultation is seeking views on proposed transitional arrangements to enable some important elements of the adoption support services framework to be implemented now as part of the existing scheme for adoption, in advance of the full implementation of the Act. The new measures, when commenced, will place a duty on Health and Social Care Trusts to make arrangements to provide specified adoption support services, including financial support and will introduce a new right to an assessment of needs for adoption support services by those affected by adoption.

The transitional support arrangements, which are aimed at ensuring adoptive families can receive much-needed support as quickly as possible, will remain in place until the introduction of more extensive adoption support services to be provided for under the Act.

The Minister said: "During the passage of the Adoption and Children Bill, I gave a commitment to implement important elements of the new adoption support services framework in advance of the full implementation of the Act to ensure that adoptive families will be able to benefit from the new adoption support services as quickly as possible. The launch of this consultation on the proposed transitional adoption support services arrangements for Northern Ireland will ensure that resources and support services are prioritised for adoptive families.

"Adoption support is of central importance to the success of adoptive placements. Most children who are adopted will have experienced some level of trauma in their early years, which can result in later challenges for them and their adoptive families. Adoption support services are therefore of vital significance to the continuance of relationships within the adoptive family and for those affected by adoption."

The second consultation is linked to provision in the Act which extends the support available to looked after children who are preparing to leave care and young people who have left care, until they reach the age of 25. The Department is seeking views on two possible additional amendments to existing Regulations. The first relates to assessing the needs of care leavers who are victims of trafficking or are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The second relates to the matters to be taken into account when considering whether accommodation is suitable for a young person who has left care.

Minister Swann said: "Commencing the relevant provisions in the Act which extend support to care leavers and making the necessary consequential amendments to subordinate legislation will ensure that the increased support can be delivered without delay to this extremely vulnerable group. The proposed additional amendments that we are consulting on will further improve the support services available to care leavers including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. They will also ensure that robust assessments are undertaken to determine that any accommodation being provided to a young person on leaving care is suitable for their needs and, importantly, will keep them safe.

"Your views on these policy proposals will assist my Department in drafting these new Regulations to ensure that adoptive families and care leavers will benefit from the support that they need and deserve."

Both consultations will end on 19 January 2023.