Adoption: Advisory Services
Question
Rachael Maskell
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an Adoption Advisory Board of sector experts to advise the Minister for Children and Families on adoption policy.
Answer
Janet DabyI regularly meet with representatives from the adoption sector including Adoption England, Adoption UK and Coram amongst others to discuss a range of issues. I hosted an adoption roundtable sector meeting on 21 May with a number of key representatives to discuss some of the challenges within adoption and I am committed to hosting similar meetings in the future.
The department already has a well-established Adopter Reference Group which meets regularly and acts as an important sounding board on adoption policy. I was pleased to meet with them on 6 May this year.