Parties across the political spectrum have declared their support for a motion tabled by Scottish Conservative MSP Roz McCall, addressing disadvantages faced by adopted children and children in foster care. It begins by recognising a survey by the Adoption Barometer in 2021, which found that 81 per cent of children surveyed had reported that they needed more support in school than their peers. Furthermore, adopted children were at a disadvantage compared to other children who were care-experienced, likely due to the particular strains of the adoption process, which can result in changing schools or further disruption to learning.
Adopted children from ethnic minority communities have been reported to face additional struggles in the education system. They are more likely to be the target of bullying, which is often racially motivated. The combination of this bullying and the trauma of adoption can make such children less willing to go to teachers for help with schoolwork, resulting in them falling further behind academically. While children in foster care are given additional support to help them within the education system, this same level of help is not currently extended towards adopted children, potentially due to the misconception that adoption is an immediate cure to the struggles these children face. Due to this, the motion calls for equal support to be given to adopted children as it is to children in foster care.
The motion also addresses disparities in the allowances given to foster carers, mentioning a survey in which 47 per cent of carers reported that the allowances they received did not meet the cost of raising a child. Without a national minimum allowance, already introduced in England and Wales, support rates are dependent on local councils, creating large disparities across the country. For example, foster carers in the Highlands receive just £100 a week on average to raise a child for 18 years, compared to £200 a week in Wales and £215 in Argyll and Bute, a local authority bordering the Highlands Council. Such a disparity across the same region of the country is fundamentally unfair and gives greater support to foster carers based solely on their addresses. Furthermore, across the country, most councils are not able to financially support carers as much as in Wales, where a national minimum has ensured adequate support is given to carers across the country.
The motion ends by stating that it:
“Notes the further calls on the Scottish Government to honour the commitment it made to implement the Independent Care Review’s ‘The Promise’, in which it states that “to provide the care that children require, foster carers must be sufficiently financially maintained”.
The fact that this motion was supported by all parties is encouraging to see, as it suggests that legislation can be crafted which will provide this additional support to children. Over the past decade, the number of children in care has declined by almost 20 per cent since 2011, a welcoming trend driven in part by rising adoption and fostering rates. However, it is important that support for these children doesn’t immediately cease after adoption, and instead gives them the educational and financial support necessary to gain the best chances in life.