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BAAF welcomes new consultation on adoption support

Issued: 26 August 2002

Leading adoption and fostering charity BAAF Adoption & Fostering today welcomed the publication of Providing Effective Adoption Support, a new Department of Health consultation on adoption support.

Felicity Collier, Chief Executive of BAAF Adoption & Fostering, says:

"We have been delighted to be involved in the stakeholder working group on adoption support. Given the Government?s intention to increase the number of children adopted from care, it is absolutely critical that families who adopt children with difficult and distressing pasts are given support. Many of the children adopted today have experienced a variety of traumatic events including abandonment, neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse. During their childhood, teenage years, into adulthood and beyond, these children and their adoptive families may face significant challenges which will require skilled support."

"The Adoption and Children Bill currently going through parliament will require local authorities to assess the support needs of adoptive families. However we are very concerned that it does not place a clear duty on local authorities to provide this support even where an assessment has identified that it is needed. We urge the Government to introduce this provision into the Bill in order to ensure that the services outlined in this consultation document are truly delivered where they are needed."

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