Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) Parent/Carer Survey – Assessing the impact on families following April 2025 Changes to the Fund
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On 14th April 2025, following a prolonged period of uncertainty regarding the future of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF), the UK government announced substantial reductions to its funding parameters. This was done without warning, consultation or supporting evidence. The Fair Access Limit (FAL), the maximum amount available for therapy per child each year, was cut from £5,000 to £3,000 per child. In addition, the £2,500 allocation for specialist assessments and the match-funding provision for children with the highest levels of need were both withdrawn entirely.
The announcement was met with immediate and widespread concern from across the adoption and kinship care community. In response, Action Against ASGSF Changes was established the following day. The campaign, supported by organisations across the adoption, kinship and therapeutic sectors, called on the government to reverse the cuts, to commission an independent consultation, and to suspend any further changes until adequate planning and mitigations could be developed to prevent additional harm to vulnerable children and young adults.
In July 2025, Action Against ASGSF Changes launched a national survey of adoptive parents, special guardians, and kinship carers to gather evidence of the impact of these policy changes. The survey was distributed widely through sector networks, including major charities such as Kinship, Adoption UK, and the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA). By its close in September 2025, the survey had received responses from 469 participants, representing 777 children and young people.
The findings are stark. The reduction in funding per child has had an immediate and measurable impact on the wellbeing of children and families who were already vulnerable. As families continue without access to appropriate therapeutic support, these harms are expected to compound over time.
This report presents both quantitative and qualitative findings from the survey. It examines the impact of the April 2025 ASGSF changes and places them in the wider context of post-adoption and special guardianship support in England. The evidence demonstrates that the cuts are not only economically short-sighted but also ethically indefensible, undermining the stability, development and the safety of children for whom the state has a continuing moral and statutory duty of care.