A woman who adopted siblings has said government cuts to therapy funding will be devastating for families.

Amanda’s adoptive children, aged 16 and 13, have both used the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund to access specialist therapy.

About 1,000 people attended a march in London on 3 May protesting against the government’s cuts to the fund which were announced in April.

The Department for Education (DfE) said it would mean more children would be able to access support.

Last year, each eligible child could access £2,500 for specialist assessment and £5,000 for therapy.

But the therapy limit has now been reduced to £3,000 per year, while separate funding for specialist assessment has been cut altogether.

“The fund is a lifeline and I still worry for my children how they’ll manage when they get older,” Amanda, from Wolverhampton, said.

“It’s devastating, not just for myself but thinking of families who are in crisis right now. It could make the difference between a child having to go into care. I don’t know what we would’ve done without it.”

Amanda added that she was worried the cuts would discourage families from adopting in the future.

Amanda’s son is having occupational therapy for attachment trauma which could only otherwise be accessed privately.

Her daughter also had therapy as well as support with questions about her life story.

“There have been times when it has been so hard, but knowing that the support is out there really does make the difference”, Amanda added.

“Adopted children are failed throughout their lives. The adoption support thing was the one thing we could rely on.”

Campaigners fear the cuts will mean vital therapy sessions come to an abrupt end for some children if the money runs out and their families cannot afford to plug the gap.

Adoption UK said the news was “distressing” for families, who had already faced “an agonising wait” to find out whether the fund would continue.

The future of the fund had been in doubt, until the government confirmed late on that it would continue in 2025-26.

Nearly 20,000 children received support through the scheme last year, up from about 13,000 in 2019-20.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are investing £50m for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund to continue for another year.

“The decisions we have taken will ensure the fund is financially sustainable to allow more vulnerable children to access targeted support.”