Adoption charity calls for funding to help children impacted by lockdown returning to school

An adoption charity has called on the government to provide additional funding to schools so they can provide extra support to children who have been impacted by the lockdown when they return to school.

According to a survey on the home learning during lockdown by Adoption UK, 50 per cent of parents and carers said their child has experienced emotional distress and anxiety during lockdown.

The coronavirus lockdown has had significant impacts on families of care experienced children, which includes adopted children. Eighty-five per cent of those surveyed are not getting any additional support from schools due to reduced staff numbers and redirected funding.

Although the effects, depending on the individual situations, have been both positive and negative, 63 per cent of parents and carers say their child will require extra support in their transition back to school.

Rebecca Brooks, author of the report, told The Independent: “School is already quite a difficult place for care experienced children, and a higher proportion of them have special education needs.

"On one hand, there are some children who have experienced a period of lower anxiety and stress since the start of lockdown – on the other, we know of families who have experienced an increase in anxiety and challenging behaviour without the protective factor that school offers.

“Many parents are worried about what the transition will look like because there will be huge numbers of them returning who, for lots of different reasons, may have not been able to access or keep up with home learning or the work set by schools.

“We also cannot ignore the mental health aspect – there has been a lot of trauma and change in these children’s lives during this period of lockdown, from change in schedules to economic difficulties in the families. A huge number of children going back to school will not be in a good place,” she added.

Adoption UK’s report comes amid reports that primary schools in England and Wales could be reopened as soon as 1 June. Prime minister Boris Johnson is due to present details of an exit strategy later this week.

But parents of care experienced children are hoping for a more flexible approach, especially for children with special needs such as ADHD, autism, and sensory issues.

Catherine*, 43, told The Independent her family has received little to no support in caring for her 10-year-old adopted son, who has multiple issues including attachment disorder, sensory processing disorder and foetal alcohol syndrome.

Based in Devon, Catherine and her husband are highly-trained therapeutic parents, but have struggled to cope with their son’s challenging behaviour while under lockdown.

“Charlie* is very full-on and I’m lucky he goes to school two days a week, but he needs constant attention. At school, they swap teachers every hour and a half so they don’t get burnt out – at home, I’m with him 24/7 as my husband has to work from home. I don’t get to swap with anybody, it’s been exhausting,” she said.

The family has been able to get help from The Family Place, which provides specialist therapeutic interventions for foster and adoptive families, but it is otherwise “not easy to get any form of support at all and we have to pay for everything”.

It is especially difficult because Charlie displays violent behaviour and lashes out at both himself and his parents when a meltdown can’t be avoided. Catherine said the pressure from social media to “have a lovely time” while in lockdown does not help.

“It’s everywhere on social media. These happy home schooling photos that make you feel like an utter failure; pictures of people baking or making beautiful things with their children – it’s just not possible with Charlie because it’s so difficult to get him to engage with anything, and it really puts pressure on parents like us,” she said.

Roz, whose eight-year-old son is also adopted, has had a more positive lockdown experience. However, she hopes a more flexible transition plan can be hatched to help Harry* when he eventually has to return to school.

Harry struggles with attachment issues and is suspected of having ADHD. Roz, 45, said he displayed aggressive behaviour at school, but they haven't had that problem since they started self-isolating.

“We moved houses last year, which meant switching schools – Harry is not great with transitions, so it was really hard and he struggled a lot,” she said.

“Since lockdown began, he’s been going to school for half a day on the weekdays and we really feel that the teachers have been able to see the little boy underneath all the trauma and problems. He’s been getting more secure with a smaller team of staff and smaller set of kids, lockdown in some ways has been a blessing for us.

“This could all change when schools reopen. It’s been tricky, but I’ve been very grateful to the school. I hope they don’t force him straight back into learning and allow free play when they go back,” added Roz.

Dealing with smaller sets of children has been helpful for teachers who are still working, said Ms Brooks, and hopefully schools with have the resources to allow this system to continue.

“Both the teachers and children are benefiting from the relationships they’re building during this time,” she said. “In Harry's case, the school is now able to see the real child. Having the staff available, with the time and the space to build relationships with children – they really benefit from the increased time spent with each other.

“It is a positive thing going forward. As teachers, when you’re dealing with 30 children and one is a vulnerable child with trauma, it’s difficult to get to know that child. But when you get to spend more time, it really helps staff to empathise and understand the root cause of the problems.

“But with many teachers furloughed or self-isolating or ill due to coronavirus, we think staffing will become a real issue for schools when they reopen,” added Ms Brooks. “Additional funding could help schools provide more resources for children who will need the support.”

"This is why we’re urging the governments across the UK to provide schools with the funding they will desperately need to help these children with their return to school – supporting not only their learning, but also their wellbeing.”

She also believes that although the survey focused on care experienced children, its results will be “replicated among a lot of families”.

“Care experienced children have particular needs but even children who have had a stable life would have been rocked by this crisis and their families might be experiencing difficulties,” said Ms Brooks.

“It’s going to be a considerable challenge for schools going forward. We really hope that they get the resources they need."

*Names have been changed to protect identities