Portraits on Black adoption

Adoption can feel like a big step – especially when you don’t often see people who look like you reflected in the system. That’s why a new animation film is putting Black adoptive parents front and centre, giving space to their voices, experiences and advice for others who may be thinking about adopting.

This animation film brings together real parents from the Black community, speaking honestly about why they chose adoption, how they prepared, and what family life looks like now. They talk about the joys, the challenges, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way – sharing the messages they wish they had heard when they first started their journey.

What makes this film special is how personal it feels. The children of the parents featured were asked to draw portraits of their parents, and these drawings became the visual heart of the animation. Seeing families through a child’s eyes adds warmth and a powerful reminder of what adoption is really about: love, connection and belonging.

All of the parents featured – and many others – are part of the Black Adoption Project, an initiative focused on creating better futures for Black adopted children. The project works to challenge racial disparities in the adoption system and to amplify real lived experiences from Black and mixed-Black heritage families. At its core is a belief that children thrive when their identity, culture and heritage are understood, supported and celebrated. Click the screen below to watch our film Portraits on Black Adoption.

It takes a village …

Black children continue to wait longer to be adopted, despite a strong need for families who can offer stable, loving homes and nurture a child’s sense of identity. Through this film, parents are helping to break down common myths about adoption – including what ‘being ready’ really means, and the idea that you have to be perfect to provide a good home.

Repeatedly, the parents return to the importance of community … it really does take a village. Adoption doesn’t happen in isolation, and neither does parenting. Being part of a network of adopters — people who understand the journey and share similar experiences — can make all the difference.

The goal of the film is simple: to inspire more single people and couples from London’s Black and mixed Black communities to consider adoption, and to show that there is already a supportive, welcoming community of families who have taken that step.

If you’re thinking about adoption, this film is a chance to hear directly from people who’ve been there — and a reminder that family can be built in many ways, with care, honesty and connection at the centre.

🎬 Watch the film and hear directly from Black adoptive parents sharing their advice and support. If you’d like to know more about adopting a child, sign up to our online Meet The Adopters, Thursday, 26 March or Wednesday 20 May at 7.30pm.