Overview

This bill aims to improve support for families expecting a child who will be on the child protection register but not immediately slated for adoption. It mandates perinatal support services (talking therapies) and ensures a timely decision (within a year of birth) on whether adoption is necessary.

Description

The Family Perinatal Support and Adoption Bill requires the Secretary of State to introduce regulations within three months of the Act's passing. These regulations will:

• Mandate Perinatal Support: Make perinatal talking therapies (parent-infant psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapies, CBT, and counselling) available to the primary caregiver of a child expected to be born onto the child protection register without an immediate adoption plan.
• Timely Intervention: Ensure these therapies are offered before the child's birth.
• Child Protection Review: Require a child protection review conference within six months of the child's birth. This conference will consider medical assessments of the carer's ability to bond with the infant, considering progress made in therapy.
• Adoption Decision: If the review conference determines insufficient progress, regulations mandate the child's placement for adoption before their first birthday.

The bill defines "carer/infant attunement" as the carer's ability to respond to the infant's emotions and the infant's subsequent ability to regulate their own feelings. The bill also specifies that any regulations will be subject to parliamentary annulment.

Government Spending

The bill will result in increased government spending on perinatal support services and potentially on adoption services if more children are placed for adoption. Exact figures are not provided in the bill itself.

Groups Affected

Groups affected by this bill include:

• Families expecting a child on the child protection register: They will have access to perinatal support services.
• Primary caregivers of children on the child protection register: They will be directly impacted by the therapy requirements and reviews.
• Children on the child protection register: Their care arrangements will be significantly influenced by the bill’s provisions, potentially leading to adoption in some cases.
• Adoption agencies and social services: They will play a key role in the implementation of the bill, managing the increased caseload and implementing the support provisions.

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