News

NEW Adopt London South Complaints Procedure
Adopt London South has recently updated its Complaints Policy to improve clarity, accessibility, and responsiveness for all our service users. The administration of complaints will move to Southwark’s Social Care Complaints Team. We remain committed to resolving concerns quickly and informally wherever possible. Whilst affected parties are entitled to raise complaints, the new policy should not dissuade those involved from seeking resolve the…
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Supporting Proud 2b Parents’ LGBT+ Parents & Carers Day
Adopt London is proud of the many LGBTQIA adoptive parents and people who come forward to adopt and we’re happy to support the work of the inclusive charity organisation Proud 2b Parents as they celebrate and mark this important day – Friday 19 September. LGBT+ Parents & Carers Day aims to bridge the gap by shedding light on the narratives,…
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The Other Side of Adoption: Birth parents experience of care proceedings and contact
If you’re exploring adoption in the UK — whether you’re considering domestic adoption, early permanence, or simply learning about the assessment and approval process — you’ve likely come across the term ‘contact’. And you might be wondering: What does contact mean in adoption? Is open adoption better than closed adoption? What is letterbox contact, and how does it work? …
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Grants available to small organisations and groups
Adoption England Community Development Fund – applications open until 8th August 2025 The Adoption England Community Development Fund aims to help small organisations or groups with lived experience in adoption, to grow community groups and support adopters, adoptees, and birth families. These small grants are designed to provide financial assistance to initiatives that model good practice in adoption support, community…
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#UnfoldingJourneys: Celebrating the Creative Journeys of Adopted Adults Through Art
Adopt London South is proud to present #UnfoldingJourneys—an inspiring arts showcase celebrating identity, creativity, and resilience through the voices of adopted adults. The showcase will take place from 16–27 June 2025 in the Atrium at Southwark Council’s 160 Tooley Street offices, SE1 2QH and is free of charge, fully accessible to all visitors and open to public during office hours…
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Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund Newsflash
The Government have announced that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). will continue in 2025-26 with 31/03/2026 being the latest date therapy can be commissioned up to. A budget of £50m has been agreed. However, in order to support as many families as possible there will be changes to the ‘Fair Access Limit.’ This will now reduce from…
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Confirmation received that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will be continuing for the financial year April 2025 – March 2026.
The Children’s Minister made a statement in the Commons this afternoon (01/04/25) and we are now able to confirm that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will be continuing for the financial year April 2025 – March 2026. We are pleased that this has been announced however exact details are yet to be shared to ensure that it reaches…
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Celebrating two decades of LGBTQ+ adoption progress
Adopt London we have been reflecting on the strides made towards equality and inclusion. In adoption, the past two decades have brought monumental change transforming the landscape for LGBTQ+ adopters, breaking down barriers, and ensuring that children find the loving families they deserve. This week we look back at the successes of the last two decades, acknowledge some of the…
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The Notional SEN budget for mainstream schools
Understanding how schools allocate resources can be crucial for adoptive parents aiming to support their child’s education, especially for those who may need extra help. One significant resource available is notional funding — an annual allocation of up to £6,000 to support additional needs, sometimes on top of the Pupil Premium. Here, we’ll explain what notional funding is, how to…
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Janet Daby, Minister for Children and Families
Adopt London hosted an unforgettable staff conference, where we had the privilege of welcoming Janet Daby, Minister for Children and Families. The event focused on the powerful and uplifting work of the Black Adoption Project — a London based project committed to creating better futures for Black children in need of loving, supportive homes. Photo by jamiesmith.photo Minister for…
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The Adoption Barometer survey 2025 is now open!
Each year, Adoption UK – the leading charity for all those whose lives involve adoption, survey adopters and adopted people to help them build the case for more support. Adoption UK, which supports adopters, adoptees and the professionals that support them, has launched its annual ‘Barometer Survey’ to find out what life is really like for those involved with adoption.
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Early Permanence carers needed across London
We need adoptive parents who can take on the responsibility of becoming foster carers to a child, with the chance of going on to adopt them later, if the court decides that child should be adopted. Early Permanence (EP) is an umbrella term for a type of care planning which helps a child who needs be removed from their family…
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School Resources: Bridging The Gap
A project to support adopted children in schools. For many adopted children, school can feel challenging. The regional adoption agency Adopt London South is working with SEND practitioners, teachers, and school staff across ten South London Local Authorities and have launched a new resource to help them to understand what adopted students of all ages experience every day. This initiative…
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There’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ family.
New data released this National Adoption Week shows there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of children with a plan for adoption not yet matched with an adoptive family in England in 2023-4, compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the numbers of prospective adopters coming forward remains lower than previous years, believed to be largely due…
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LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week 2024
LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week is taking place 4-10 March 2024. Organised by New Family Social, the theme this year is ‘Different Together’ and encourages more people from the LGBTQ+ community to consider adopting or fostering. The campaign is a time to recognise and celebrate the many LGBTQ+ people who have already adopted or fostered, but it is also about…
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Black Adoption Project Launch
At the end of last year over 200 people attended online as Adopt London hosted the launch of the Black Adoption Project Report – the first of many webinars to share information on the findings of the Report and the progress of key initiative as we develop and grow. Thank you to everyone who attended and for sharing professional and…
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Adopt London Choir sing on BBC Radio London
What a wonderful morning over at the BBC Radio London studios in central London with Megan Tanner, Choir MD and 10 adoptive parents representing the Adopt London Choir on Tuesday 19 December. As part of Salma El-Wardany’s radio Breakfast Show, a choir sings at the end of each daily broadcast in the run up to Christmas. Normally meeting online, this was…
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LGBTQ+ adopters nominate four Adopt London social workers for commendation.
This summer (2023) New Family Social asked their LGBTQ+ adopter members which social workers deserved to receive a members’ commendation – to show that they’d gone above and beyond in their work. Four social workers from Adopt London received a members’ commendation. In Adopt London West, Ramona Proti and Deepti Walia received a members’ commendation. Ramona was described by one members…
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We Are Family is 10 years old
We Are Family is an independent peer support community for adoptive parents, and this year marks their 10th anniversary of providing digital and in-person support to adopters and prospective adopters. We Are Family membership is free to amongst others, all Adopt London families and removing barriers to accessing resources is at the heart of their ethos. However, they must also…
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Conversations for Change for adopters
Allow me to introduce myself – I’m Richard Orchard-Rowe, adoptive dad and founder and presenter of the podcast – Adoption Adventures. I’m reaching out to adoptive parents of Adopt London’s twenty four boroughs to invite you to join Adopt London’s Conversations for Change*. This is a new initiative to bring together the voices of all those impacted by adoption, and…
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