# Financial Support Pre and Post Matching?



## Petite One (Jun 1, 2011)

Hello all

I'd like to pick your lovely brains on what support to expect or at least ask for when going for a match, or after a match.  From what I've read the settling in grants vary from each local authority.  All I know is that there is:

A pupil premium - which seems to be paid to schools for all adopted children? Is this right?
Possible settling in grant
Foster carers may also give clothes, pushchairs, bedding etc.
Expenses for meals, travel and hotel during introductions
Free 15 hours of nursery places for adopted children of 2 and over.
Child benefit

If the child is not considered hard to place have people still managed to get some money for items?
When does the Local Authority discuss financial support? Is it after matching?

I think this thread will help all of us get some ideas of what to ask for.

Thanks.


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

We had a settling in grant (for the life of me I can't remember how much!) which we could claim back with receipts.  We also had our accommodation booked and paid for by them directly, and had a daily allowance for meals, claimable back with receipts.  The daily allowance was more than enough if you're self catering, but a tight squeeze if you had to eat out, as we did.  We could also claim back mileage (it was out of area) and the court fee for the adoption order.

Yes to child benefit, which you should be able to claim as soon as LO is home.  Yes to pupil premium, although some schools have several children that qualify and lump it all in together as general help, rather than funding a specific plan for your child.  And yes to free nursery places, which you can use in any combination of days/hours up to your full allowance across the school year.  I *think* our HV referred us, and then we arranged with the setting/local authority.

What comes with your child varies a lot.  Bug was 2 when he came home, and it took two of our car (Fiesta) loads and one of the FC's people carrier loads to get all the stuff here.  He had loads of clothes, a huge amount of toys, many big and bulky ones, including a slide and a selection of ride-on toys.  We didn't have anything like pushchair, bedding etc, and he was going from cot to cot bed so we didn't have mattress.

I understand that FC's have to dispose of the mattress when the child moves on, so if you're having the same size it's worth asking about that.

If your approving agency is different to the placing agency but has worked with them before, they should have an idea of how they operate.  If it's the same agency, they should be able to tell you before any link.  If no to either, just ask, in a non-anxious fashion!  You need to know to plan and budget effectively.  

Good luck!


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## Petite One (Jun 1, 2011)

Thanks AOC.   Both agencies don't know each other, so am in the dark as to what they will do. 

It's surprising how little support adopters get, considering how much we do,   as in no time off for home visits unlike women going to ante natal classes, there's also so many visits on top of that, travelling, medicals etc.

Did they discuss money for settling in grant and accommodation after the matching panel?

I'm hoping for more posts on this thread to see what others got and how they managed to get it.


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## Lorella (Jan 10, 2013)

Hi Petite One

Just to confirm what AoC said about Pupil Premium. Schools will get £1,900 for any child adopted since 2005. They can spend it how they like, although they are accountable for how they spend it and have to report it to parents. Due to squeezed school budgets it is usually lumped together and spent on general resources to support SEN, TA salaries etc. It can also be used to support less well off parents by subsidising school trips and that kind of thing. 
As a parent you can not go into school and tell them what to spend the money on but you can make the school aware that you know about the money and ask them how they are using it to support your child. After all if your child wasn't there they wouldn't have the money! For example an adopted child may require some counselling at some point and you could suggest the money be used to fund that. They might not listen to you but it's always worth a go I say! I am a teacher and SENCO so manage the pupil premium budget at my school. I don't always agree with how it's spent though but that's out of my hands....... 
xxx


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

Petite, our SWer told us about the settling in grant, and the other stuff was sorted out at the intros planning meeting.

FWIW I got time off for home visits, as my line manager reasoned it was equivalent to ante natal classes.  I felt that there were too many meetings, so we split it half an half special leave/annual leave.


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## Waiting_patiently (Dec 4, 2013)

Hiya,

We've had a settling in grant mentioned, but a while back and heard nothing since, although I did read online that there is a £500 'sure start' grant available for babies placed before there first birthday, but unsure how or if we qualify on criteria or if its people on benefits etc. or it that it could be the settling in grant that they mention?

Just had our paperwork through pre matching panel and it does state on it that they will cover travel costs for intros, not been discussed verbally though with us.

Tbh I might sound a bit 'blaze' ('bla zay' not sure on spelling ha ha)... but never at any time have we expected to get a penny help as we went into this of our own choice so have always expected to pay for everything. We had to pay for medicals whereas I've read some have had those paid by the LA or VA, ours were £125 each too so not the recommended £70 ish or whatever it is.


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## Petite One (Jun 1, 2011)

Thanks for that info all.  

Lorella it's always interesting to see how organisations spend their money!   Sometimes I shudder to think what is wasted. 

Waiting_patiently, I know they wouldn't pay for everything but they often say they want a mix of adopters out there from different backgrounds, wealth, etc and it's not easy to pay for all these things ourselves. Medicals I feel should be paid for and the difference in prices is astonishing. Yours was even more than ours!    It's interesting how some people get time off work and yet others get zero. I've seen people on here have had to fight with work or their LA's to get support, funding, therapy etc and yet others have found they didn't have to fight much at all.  

For some people as they are classed as being at the bottom of the pecking order at work, it means they don't get the support they need, which is partly why they won't look into adoption, yet they'd be fabulous. There's still a lot to be done to get a variety of people from different cultures, classes, etc adopting and with some more support they would. 

Onwards and upwards.


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

We got nothing in terms of settling etc. Travel expenses were paid so was our accommodation for meetings and intros we are long distance.  However we funded food etc and day trips during intros.  We funded our medicals which was £250 and we have to fund the 170 court costs for the girls adoption order. Their sw team were totally up front about all financial matters during planning.


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

We claimed back our travel for intros, but got nothing additional.  We would have pushed more before our second child was placed for an allowance because it was clear that I wouldn't be able to go back to work in the short term with both children (siblings placed 12 months apart).  We had such a hard fight to get our daughter's sibling, however, that we didn't feel able to in case SS just turned round and said no to us having him.  Once he had been placed we did try to get additional funding as we had two siblings placed close together and one with additional needs, but basically SS said that we weren't going to give him back if we didn't get funding, and even if we did, they would be able to place him again due to age, so no.  I'm paraphrasing, but that's what it amounted to.  

All the best,

Wyxie xx


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## bulmer (Sep 5, 2010)

We had siblings placed and received settling in allowance for each of them.  Our intro's were long distance and the LA paid for a cottage for us, all our mileage and even a dog walker !! We were paid mileage for all of our visits before and after panel for example going to meet FC.  FC provided a huge amount of clothing and toys, bedding and grow bags, bottles, children's cutlery and plates  she even brought us nappies and all of the baby food she had in the house.  In fact she was amazing they were home in August and she had bought them winter coats to save us the expense.  After they had been home for a few months we asked LA about assistance with nursery fees and were stunned when they agreed to pay half for the first six months.  I think we were very lucky with the placing authority.


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## Nicola30 (Jun 13, 2011)

Our LA pay for everything - medicals, travel at intros, court and we get a settling in grant of £250.
We've been told it's most likely bambino will come with basics (clothes, toys) but we can still get our own.
During intros we can claim everything back.

I've been really lucky with work, I've been given every appointment and meeting as adoption "antenatal" time, I work in the NHS and I'm really lucky that my trust recognise adoption as equivalent to adoption so I get the full kit and caboodle 😝 it's really frustrating how 1920's government legislation is with regards to adoption rights!!


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## Petite One (Jun 1, 2011)

Wyxie said:


> We claimed back our travel for intros, but got nothing additional. We would have pushed more before our second child was placed for an allowance because it was clear that I wouldn't be able to go back to work in the short term with both children (siblings placed 12 months apart). We had such a hard fight to get our daughter's sibling, however, that we didn't feel able to in case SS just turned round and said no to us having him. Once he had been placed we did try to get additional funding as we had two siblings placed close together and one with additional needs, but basically SS said that we weren't going to give him back if we didn't get funding, and even if we did, they would be able to place him again due to age, so no. I'm paraphrasing, but that's what it amounted to.
> 
> All the best,
> 
> Wyxie xx


Hello Wyxie. It just beggers belief the different levels of support people get.  It's also scary how much our lives are in SW's hands. I keep saying this, but there's a lot more work that needs to be done to encourage future adopters and support current adopters.

Here's a quote from Cameron when the government gave £19.3 million for the adoption support fund for therapeutic services.

_The Prime Minister said: "The new Adoption Support Fund will be a lifeline for many adoptive families, helping them to access specialist services when their family needs them most. I also hope it will reassure parents thinking about embarking on the hugely rewarding journey of adoption that if challenges do arise, they will no longer be left alone to cope."_

Someone needs to get him to take a look at the differences in funding offered between LA's too.

Nicola30 - your LA sounds great and how it should be.

Bulmer - a dog walker! Now that is impressive. It just makes it all the more easier if they were a bit more helpful to everyone like that.

DIYDiva - I guess at least they were upfront, but fortunately not very forthcoming.

I shall see what happens at the next stages.


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## mafergal (Jul 31, 2013)

Petite One, we are due at matching panel next week.  Prior to the matching paperwork going in (about a month ago) we got a few emails from the placing LA detailing different things such as 'Parental Responsibility', invite to 'Life Appreciation Day', one on support after placement and another form detailing what they would provide as the placing LA.  It stated accommodation for intros would be booked and paid for by them and we would get a mileage allowance for all meetings/events we attend (I think 25p a mile) which is welcome as it's a long distance placement and we have 4 journeys there an back to do.  It also stated we would get a settling in grant of £450.00 that would be receipt based and we can hand these in at the planning meeting after MP.  We really didn't expect this as LO is not classed as hard to place but it certainly has helped.  We don't get any expenses for food etc. whilst we are on intros but as we will be in self catering accommodation it's not really going to be any more than we would normally pay. We are grateful that the LA can provide this but as I said earlier we didn't expect this and thought any help would be means tested (which we never qualify for).


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

We got a settling in grant of £250 and court fees of £170 reimbursed. We also got 20p per mile for introductions. This was discussed during our pre panel meeting. Little pink came with clothes, her cup and dummy, blankets, left over food and milk, a teething toy and and her memory box, so not than that much compared to some. We claim child benefit and she will be entitled to 15 hours free nursery provision the term after her second birthday, so for us that kicks in in January


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