Meet the Black Adoption Project Team

The Black Adoption Project is an initiative led by Adopt London working with people with lived experiences of adoption in the Black community, staff and community members. Scroll down to meet just some of the team.

Adopt London

The Project was started by four Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) in London – known as Adopt London. Formed in 2019 and working together as a partnership, Adopt London North, Adopt London East, Adopt London South and Adopt London West recruit and assess people who want to adopt, support children who need adoption and those whose lives are impacted by adoption in 24 London boroughs.

Lydia Samuel, representing the Adopt London Heads of Service (HOS) team says,

“Adopt London is responsible for identifying adoptive families for more Black and mixed Black heritage children than RAAs across the country, due to our London demographics. Early in our formation as RAAs in London we therefore agreed that this should be a priority area for us to focus on, recognising that change would be slow and take a long time to achieve, but being committed to learning from those with lived experiences and community perspectives to ensure that meaningful solutions can be found – not sticking plasters.

Through the years since the Project was first initiated, it has remained one of our top priorities as a partnership. We believe that we will achieve lasting change as long as we continue to be open about the barriers that our own systems often create for Black families, and the systemic racism that has to be actively battled.”

Charmaine Miller, Programme Lead

Charmaine has worked in the arena of adoption and fostering for over 30 years. Charmaine is passionate about children and their journey through the care system and adoption. She takes pride in supporting families who choose adoption as a positive way of creating their families – and is the founder of two Black Adopters support groups enabling her to hear the adopters’ experiences of their journey.

Charmaine Miller, Black Adoption Project Programme Lead

Charmaine Miller, Programme Lead says

I enjoy working with people and building links within our community. I continue to ask myself – can we do better for Black children and young people, and families who choose adoption? Yes, we can!

Steering Committee members

The Steering Committee is a representation of individuals with lived experience of adoption, professionals working in adoption, community members and our learning partner, whose role is to support the Project team through challenge and direction. Click the buttons below to read more from just some of our Steering Committee members.

Chloe

"I thought ‘wow’ - with the care and knowledge around this table- we’ve lit a fire and we are going to make a difference."

Francine

"Changing perceptions, better PR and calling out to families to come forward for Black children can only be a good thing."

Laura

"If there is something that isn’t fair, wrong or unjust, the Black Adoption Project is how I can be part of something that makes a difference. I want to learn, influence and take action where I can."

Adoptive parent stakeholder group

The stakeholder group will provide: advice and guidance, challenge and scrutiny and insight and expertise. It will be a key group to share invaluable adopter insight and experience to shape and drive the Black Adoption Project (BAP). The Group is a key way by which the Black Adoption Project takes a collaborative approach to make change.

The role of the Adoptive Parent Stakeholder Group is to:

Assist the project team in resolving specific issues and risks that may hinder project’s successful delivery

Use adopter influence, insight and expertise to shape project design and direction and assist the project in achieving objectives.

Challenge and scrutinise decisions, progress and outcomes of the project to ensure overarching aims are achieved.

Foster collaboration between the project team, BAP steering committee , adopters and wider BAP groups.

Research and Evaluation Advisory Group (REAG)

The role of the Black Adoption Project’s REAG is to support the development, implementation and delivery of the Project’s evaluation framework across three key areas: research project impact, systems-change impact and sharing learning from the Project. The REAG includes academics, practitioners, and community representatives to ensure the research is robust, has integrity and translates research findings into actionable recommendations. Click the link to find out more about the members who make up the REAG Black Adoption Project.

Adoption England

Adoption England is the national organisation supporting Regional Adoption Agencies across England to work together to improve adoption practice. They have supported the Black Adoption Project through Department for Education grant funding, giving us additional capacity to run and evaluate some of our pilot and research projects. Adoption England is one of the mechanisms by which the Black Adoption Project share regular updates and resources with other RAAs nationally so that learning from the Project can be used in other areas.

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