The Role of Voluntary Adoption Agencies
Voluntary Adoption Agencies (VAAs) are Children’s Charities which have chosen to provide adoption services for children because we believe this is an important resource for children who cannot grow up in their birth families. We believe that all children deserve the love and security that comes from belonging to a stable family and adoption offers the most stability and security for those children who cannot remain within the family they were born to. Because Voluntary Adoption Agencies choose to offer adoption services, this work is always a priority for us. Some VAAs offer other services for children and families alongside adoption, others are solely devoted to adoption. Adoption services are also provided by Local Authorities as one aspect of their statutory responsibilities towards children.
Voluntary Adoption Agencies
In the UK adoption was first developed by Voluntary Adoption Agencies at a time when it was not part of the statutory responsibility of Local Authorities. Thus the voluntary sector has particularly long experience of adoption, and we have learned from adults who were placed for adoption as babies and children, what some of the difficulties have been for adopted children growing up.
Voluntary adoption Agencies recruit adopters for a wide range of children who need families, regardless of which Local Authority is responsible for the child, and children from any Local Authority in the UK can be placed with adopters approved by a VAA.
Voluntary Adoption Agencies are partly funded by donations and fund raising alongside fees which we receive from Local Authorities when we provide adoptive families for children who are looked after by them.
Voluntary Adoption Agencies have a long tradition of providing support to adoptive families at time of need.
Voluntary Adoption Agencies provide their services free to adoptive applicants for children needing to be adopted from within the UK. However there are some charges for those who wish to adopt from abroad. This is also the case for those who decide to adopt via a Local Authority.
Local Authorities and Voluntary Adoption Agencies are all subject to strict regulatory control and are regularly inspected by Ofsted.