This year’s Big Adoption Day theme centres on adoption support, an extremely important subject and one which couldn’t be more timely. In 2025, the provision and adequacy of support for adopted children and families was thrust into the media spotlight when the government made changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) in England, which CVAA has strongly opposed and campaigned against. Then in December, the BBC released its File on Four investigation Adoption: The Blame Game, which told the stories of families who were let down by the State and insufficiently supported. Meanwhile in Scotland a family won an out-of-court settlement and apology from a council for failing to support them when their adopted teenage son was in crisis.

It is important therefore that VAAs are able to have honest conversations about adoption support, but the issue is nuanced. On the one hand, CVAA and our member agencies have been dismayed by the ASGSF cuts in England. We have long campaigned for greater investment from governments in all four nations into adoption support for families, including earlier support, less bureaucracy, more timely access to specialist therapeutic support, and support around maintaining children’s lifelong relationships with birth families.

On the other hand, we remain proud of the lifelong adoption support voluntary adoption agencies commit to and provide to their families, which has been a hallmark of the VAA sector for decades.

• VAAs know that adoption is a lifelong journey so don’t have arbitrary timeframes after which families can’t access support. All VAA families can access support at any time, even long after the adoption.
• Being independent nonprofit organisations helps VAAs provide support quickly and flexibly, without long waiting lists.
• Every VAA is officially inspected and rated highly, with support often a strong feature.
• As nonprofits VAAs have the ability to fundraise to bolster the support offer for families.

The recent BBC investigation reported that some parents feel they are sold a lie about adoption support. This is unacceptable. No one should ever be told that ‘love is all you need’ to care for adopted children, as this is false. The needs of adopted children are complex because of the trauma and loss that they have experienced, and parents need intensive training and support, which adapts over time and ramps up and down as needed. Our most important job as charities and nonprofit adoption organisations is being upfront and honest about the realities of adoption and the support available, enabling everyone considering adoption to make informed choices, at their own pace, free from any pressure.

The adoption support provided by VAAs is good – often great – but not limitless. Every VAA will have a ‘core offer’ of adoption support which is unique to their agency. Our expectation and ask of all our members is that this is very clearly outlined on websites, brochures and so on. Usually the core offer will include training, ad hoc advice and guidance, peer support for adopters, events like family days and meet ups, signposting to special services, initial consultation/advice on needs assessments for children and young people and so on.

But many of our members go above and beyond this. Adoption Matters for example has a multidisciplinary team providing a range of therapeutic interventions. PACT runs CATCH, an extensive online platform to support adopters and other carers with resources on parenting and trauma, complete with e-learning modules, webinars and forums. And Family Futures is primarily a complex trauma service and therapy centre, as well as an adoption agency dedicated to training therapeutic parents.

In England, the ASGSF has for the last 10 years made therapeutic support available for adopted children (and more recently kinship children and previously looked after children with a Child Arrangements Order). This Fund currently remains although the amount of funding available per child has been reduced. The government in England is currently considering reforming the Fund and is expected to launch a process of public engagement about this imminently. You can track news updates on the ASGSF on our news page here and we will continue to publish updates as the situation progresses. We also know that adoption support is high on the agenda for governments across the other nations in the UK.

So what can anyone interested in adoption do to ensure they are well informed before considering next steps?

1. Research – look at websites and request information packs to understand more about the agency and what services they offer.
2. Dialogue – pick up the phone or attend an information event. Ask hard questions and request specific details.
3. Shop around – contact different agencies, both nonprofit and statutory, to understand the differences between them.

A full list of VAA events taking place on Big Adoption Day is here.

Big Adoption Day, led by the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) and the UK’s first children’s charity Coram, will see participating agencies hosting in-person and online events in their local areas, and celebrating the real-life stories of families who have adopted, to encourage anyone interested in exploring adoption to find out more.

A full list of VAA events being held across the country is available HERE.

Satwinder Sandhu, CEO of CVAA, said:

“Across 2025 we have seen a lot of media attention on the availability of support for adopted children and families. This won’t have escaped the awareness of anyone thinking about adoption – many will have questions and concerns, and it is the job of adoption agencies to help inform people, honestly and transparently. Big Adoption Day 2026 is therefore all about inviting dialogue with voluntary agencies, through a range of events and drop-ins. Every person who may be interested in adopting a child is owed clear and accurate information about what they can expect from their agency, over a timespan of years and even decades.  All voluntary agencies see this as a core responsibility, as well as providing high quality lifelong support to families as they have historically always done, in a flexible and responsive way.”

3,000 children are currently waiting to be adopted across England, of which half have been waiting more than 18 months since entering care (1,500). There is an urgent need for more prospective adoptive parents to come forward to provide permanent, loving homes for these children.

VAAs are independent, not-for-profit organisations, offering a personalised service to adopters from all backgrounds. They have a wealth of experience having found homes for thousands of children with adoptive families, particularly those who often wait the longest in care, including older children, those in sibling groups, and children from the global majority or with disabilities. VAAs also provide all of their adoptive families with lifelong support, which is flexible and responsive to what families need, whenever they need it.

Across the UK VAAs spend roughly £7 million on delivering adoption support, not including the government-funded therapeutic support they deliver (e.g. via the Adoption and Special Guardianship Fund in England). In 2024-25 VAAs spent over 15,000 hours providing therapeutic support to adopted children, and provided support to almost 9,500 recipients overall.

For more information about your local VAA, visit the CVAA agency finder here.

Learn more understand more about adopting with a VAA here.

Links to VAA events

• Adopters for Adoption (England) – online event details here
• Adoption Focus (Midlands – full details of areas they cover here) – online event details here
• Adoption Matters (North West, North East, Yorkshire & the Humber, Stoke, Staffordshire, Shropshire) – online event details here
• ARC Adoption NE (North East from Northumberland across to Cumbria and down to North Yorkshire) – face-to-face event details here
• Barnardo’s (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) – in-store event in at Barnardo’s Glasgow (Barnardos, 250 Great Western Road, Glasgow G4 9EJ) on Thursday 22nd January, 11am-1pm
• Caritas Care (North West, including Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and Cumbria) – drop-in event details here, online event details here
• CCS Adoption (Bristol and South West) – in-person event details here
• Coram (London and surrounding areas) – in-person event details here (Meet our Adopters: a safe space to meet adopters and hear about their journey, ask questions and connect). Details are also available about Coram’s partnership with GLL, offering 500 free three-month memberships to Better leisure centres for adoptive families across the country, and Coram x National Theatre: Ballet Shoes partnership.
• Diagrama Adoption (London, Surrey, East and West Sussex and Kent) – Coffee and cake drop-in here, online event details here
• Family Futures (London) – online event details here
• Kibble Adoption (Scotland) – online event details here, open day details here.
• PACT (Southern and central England) – event details here (drop ins at Reading, London, Brighton and Milton Keynes offices and an online event)
• Scottish Adoption and Fostering (Scotland) – online event details here
• St David’s Adoption Service (Wales) – online event details here. The team will also be at John Lewis Cardiff from 10am–4pm, chatting all things VAA adoption in Wales.
• St Andrew’s Children’s Society (Scotland – within a 60 mile radius of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Elgin) – online event details here, online event for single prospective parents here.
• St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society (Scotland) – in-person open event details here
• Yorkshire Adoption Agency (Yorkshire and surrounding areas) – in-person event at Sheffield Ecclesall Road Library on Saturday 24th January at 10am, and online event details here

Visit CVAA’s agency finder to find your local VAA.

Find out more about what a VAA is here.

Full information about VAA events (ordered alphabetically by VAA name)

Adopters for Adoption (England)

7.15pm, Wednesday 28^th January 2026, online information event– please note this event is not on Big Adoption Day itself

Information events are a great way to learn more about the adoption process and how you’d be supported, both before and after the adoption order. This online event will begin with a live presentation from a team manager, covering all of the need-to-know topics of adoption. Where possible, approved adopters from Adopters for Adoption will share their adoption story, and the event will conclude with a Q&A session. Book onto the event here.

Adoption Focus (Midlands – full details of areas they cover here)

6pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – Free online adoption information event

Adoption Focus’s online information events are a great way to learn more about adopting, the adoption process and how Adoption Focus can support you. They begin with a live presentation from a member of the team, covering all aspects of adoption and the Adoption Focus service. Following this you’ll be given the opportunity to arrange a private phone call or video chat with one of their experienced adoption social workers in which you can have your questions answered and talk about next steps.

Whether you want a general overview of how things work or have specific questions you’d like to talk through, the team are happy to hear from you.

Please call on 0121 779 0891 or email [email protected] to book a place at this event. You’ll be sent an information pack and all the details you need. If you’re not able to make it to one of these events, please get in touch and the team will arrange an alternative way of giving you the information you need.

Visit here to book.

Adoption Matters (North West, North East, Yorkshire & the Humber, Stoke, Staffordshire, Shropshire)

7pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – Online information event

Attending an Adoption Matters online adoption information event is a convenient way to find out more about adoption and this children’s charity.

Join online from the comfort of your home, ideally with a camera-enabled device, and allow the team, which will be led by experienced enquiry team members and a social worker, to share a presentation, walk you through the adoption process, and explain the ongoing support they offer. There will be no pressure to proceed with your enquiry following attendance – the team will walk alongside you at your pace, with honest guidance and helpful information.

Events typically last 60–90 minutes, depending on participation, and they are open to anybody who is interested in adoption that lives in the geographical coverage area, which includes: The North West, The North East, Yorkshire & the Humber, Stoke, Staffordshire, Shropshire.

If you live just outside of these areas, the team may still be able to assist you, so please do contact the team to discuss.

Visit here to book.

ARC Adoption NE (North East from Northumberland, across to Cumbria and down to North Yorkshire)

6-8pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – Face to Face Adoption Information Event at ARC Adoption NE office in Sunderland

Join ARC Adoption NE at its office in Sunderland for its first face to face information event of 2026 to find out more about adoption and the children in need of loving, permanent families.

Event Details: Wednesday 21^st January 2026, 18.00 to 20.00 (please note that this is not a drop in session – the event runs for approx. 2 hrs). Book a place here.

At this event, which is being hosted in conjunction with Big Adoption Day, you will have the opportunity to meet some of ARC Adoption’s friendly team who will tell you more about the adoption process and the extensive support they provide to their children and families. They will also be joined by a Dad who will share his experience of adopting twice with the group, and help answer any questions you may have.

The team is really looking forward to meeting you and helping you discover whether adoption is the right path for you and your family – now or in the future. It could be the start of an exciting 2026.

If you can’t make this information event, click here to see upcoming dates.

Barnardo’s (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

11am-1pm, Thursday 22nd January 2026 – in-store event at Barnardos, 250 Great Western Road, Glasgow G4 9EJ

Pop into the Barnardo’s store on Great Western Road, Glasgow, to have an informal chat about fostering and adoption. More information here.

Caritas Care (North West, including Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and Cumbria)

12-2pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – Drop-in event at 218 Tulketh Road, Preston PR2 1ES.

If you’re considering adoption, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about growing your family with the experienced, dedicated support of VAAs. Caritas Care is a not-for-profit, independent adoption agency known for our personalised approach to supporting families from all backgrounds. Its team has extensive experience placing children of all ages, including sibling groups and children with disabilities, in loving homes.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Real Stories:Meet adoptive parents who will share personal stories and insights into the adoption journey.
• Meet The Team: Their friendly social workers will be on hand to answer any questions about the process and lifelong support they provide.
• Relaxed Atmosphere:Enjoy coffee, cake, and conversation in a warm, no-pressure environment.

Everyone interested in adoption – now or in the future – is welcome to attend. Caritas Care is especially proud to work with families from diverse backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ and global majority communities.

Please book your place HERE to help plan for numbers and refreshments.

6.30-7.30pm, Wednesday 21^st January – Online information event

If you’re considering adoption, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about growing your family with the experienced, dedicated support of VAAs.

What to Expect: Events are led by a dedicated Adoption Social Worker who will walk you through the adoption process step-by-step. There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and to also hear the stories from adoptive parents who will share their journey with you.

Why Attend?

• Get answers to your questions and ease any uncertainties
• Connect with people and understand the process on a personal level.
• Gain the knowledge and support so you can make an informed decision.
• Join us and take the first step on your adoption journey.

Book your place HERE

CCS Adoption (Bristol and South West)

6.30-8.30pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – in-person event at The Steam Crane Pub, 4 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1HT

As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, CCS Adoption offers a personalised service to adopters from all backgrounds. It has extensive experience placing children who often wait the longest in care, such as older children, sibling groups, and children from the global majority or with disabilities. Its commitment doesn’t end at placement: it provides lifelong, flexible adoption support tailored to the needs of adoptive families.

CCS is hosting a free in-person Big Adoption Day event for anyone considering adoption at The Steam Crane Pub. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet the team, learn about the adoption process, and hear inspiring stories from families who have adopted through CCS Adoption. Book yourself a place now by filling out the form here.

Coram Adoption (London and surrounding areas)

5.30-7.30pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – Meet the Adopters Evening (in-person) at Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ

Meet our Adopters: a safe space to meet adopters and hear about their journey, ask questions and connect.

From first steps to panel and family finding. Come and join Coram with any questions you may have and to meet others who have been going through the adoption assessment. Coram looks forward to seeing you! Book here.

Diagrama Adoption (South London, Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex)

11am-2pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – Coffee & Cake Meet with Diagrama (Drop-ins Very Welcome!) at Airport House, 265 Purley Way, Croydon CR0 0XZ.

A friendly, no-pressure drop-in for anyone who is considering their adoption journey. Meet the team, ask your questions, grab a coffee.

Click here to reserve a spot.

6pm-7.30pm, Wednesday 14^th January 2026, free online information session – please note this event is not on Big Adoption Day itself

Join this free online information event hosted by experienced social workers and adoption professionals from Diagrama Adoption, a not-for-profit voluntary adoption agency.

This friendly, no-pressure session gives you the chance to understand the adoption process, hear real adoption stories and explore whether adoption could be the right path for you.

What You’ll Learn

• The adoption journey – What’s involved, how long it takes, and what to expect
• Who can adopt – Eligibility, common myths, and what truly matters
• Matching with a child – How the team finds the right child or children for your family
• Support for adopters – The ongoing, personalised support it offers before, during and after placement
• Real stories – Hear from the team and families who have adopted with Diagrama

Whether you’re just beginning to think about adoption or feel ready to take the next step, this event will give you clear, reliable guidance to help you make an informed decision.

Click here to reserve a spot.

Family Futures CIC (London)

6.30-8pm, Wednesday 21st January 2026 – online information evening

iAdopt is a unique, interactive, and therapeutically informed London-based Voluntary Adoption Agency (VAA). Since 2008, iAdopt has been dedicated to assessing, approving, and placing children with adoptive families across the UK.

This Big Adoption Day attendees will have the opportunity to explore the journey of adoption and learn about iAdopt’s bespoke assessment process which equips prospective parents with an understanding of the impact of trauma and provides therapeutic tools to support their child’s development.

Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with their social work team, hear from experienced adopters, and learn how the iAdopt tailored approach empowers families to thrive. Book your place here or contact at [email protected]

PACT (Parents And Children Together), (Southern and central England)

6.30-8.30pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – online information event

Parents And Children Together (PACT) believes that every child deserves the warmth and stability of a loving home. As an independent adoption charity, PACT has been consistently rated outstanding by Ofsted since 2014, a testament to its commitment to finding permanent families for children waiting in care.

Join PACT for a virtual adoption information event, where you’ll discover the joys of parenting through adoption and the comprehensive support on offer to families for life. Hear firsthand from adopters about their experiences, engage with senior social workers, and get all your questions answered.

To request to book onto this event, please fill out PACT’s adoption enquiry form here or call the team on 0300 456 4800.

Meet the PACT team – Wednesday 21^st January 2026 (in-person drop ins)

This Big Adoption Day, come along and meet the teams in London / Reading / Brighton / Milton Keynes. Ask any questions you may have and find out more about adopting through PACT. To request to book your half an hour slot on this event, please fill out the adoption enquiry form here or call the team on 0300 456 4800. Full address given upon booking. PACT would love to see you there!

Reading – 10am-4.30pm (RG1 4QS)

Brighton – 10am-3pm (BN1 1HW)

London (Vauxhall) – 10am-3.30pm (SE11 5RR)

Milton Keynes – 10am-3.30pm (MK16 9EY)

Kibble Adoption (Scotland)

10am-4pm, Wednesday 21st January 2026 – open day at Kibble Community-Based Services, 1 Station Road, Paisley PA1 2SB

7pm-8pm, Wednesday 21st January 2026 – online information session

Scottish Adoption and Fostering (Scotland)

12.30pm to 1.30pm, Wednesday 21st January 2026 – online information session over lunchtime

Join members of the team and some adoptive parents this Big Adoption Day to get a better understanding of what adoption might mean for you and your family. This is an opportunity to hear from others, ask questions and to learn more about the in-house Therapy Centre and life-long support that can be provided for your family if you adopt through Scottish Adoption and Fostering.

Who can adopt? Adopters come from all walks of life. Single, married, LGBTQ+, all religions and ethnicities, with or without children — if you can provide a safe, loving home, you can be considered. We focus on your ability to care for and nurture a child, not your marital status, wealth, or background.

Reserve a spot here. If you have any questions about the session, feel free to get in touch with Tina at [email protected]. The team runs multiple events throughout the year, so if this one doesn’t suit you, please reach out to find a more suitable time.

St David’s Adoption Service (Wales)

10am-4pm, Wednesday 21st January 2026 – drop-in at John Lewis Cardiff, The Hayes, CF10 1EG

St David’s Adoption Service will be at John Lewis Cardiff from 10am–4pm for Big Adoption Day, chatting all things VAA adoption in Wales. Come along to meet the team, ask questions, and find out more about the adoption process and how St David’s supports families across Wales.

10am-12pm, Tuesday 20^th January 2026 – Introduction to Adoption Workshop, a two-hour online session. Please note this event is not on Big Adoption Day itself.

St David’s invites all prospective adoptive families to attend its Introduction to Adoption Workshop—a two-hour online session designed to provide essential information about adoption. This workshop helps you explore whether adoption is the right path for you and your family.

The session covers the following key topics:

• Who we are: An overview of St David’s Adoption Service and the difference between a Voluntary Adoption Agency (VAA) and a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA).
• What we look for in adoptive parents: Insight into the qualities and attributes we seek in prospective adopters.
• The adoption process: A step-by-step guide to what you can expect on your adoption journey.
• The children we support: Understanding the needs and experiences of children with a plan for adoption.
• Real experiences: Hearing directly from an adoptive parent about their journey and their experience with St David’s.
• Therapeutic parenting: An introduction to this approach and its importance in adoption.
• Next steps: Guidance on how to proceed if you’re ready to take the next step.

Workshops are held monthly and are usually facilitated by Stage One Manager, Dan, alongside an experienced social worker. The team strives to create a welcoming and informal atmosphere where participants feel comfortable asking questions.

To book visit here.

St Andrew’s Children’s Society (Scotland – within a 60 mile radius of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Elgin)

6-7pm, Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – Online information event

St Andrew’s Children’s Society is very pleased to be holding an Online Adoption Information Event as part of Big Adoption Day 2026. The event will take place virtually over Teams, and you can sign up on Eventbrite here.

At the event you’ll hear about the adoption process and from a St Andrew’s adopter, who will speak about their experiences of adopting and answer any questions you have. St Andrew’s Children’s Society welcomes adoption enquiries from people who follow a faith, those who don’t, single people, couples and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

If you would like to find out more about adopting, but can’t make it the event, please call 0131 454 3370 or email [email protected] and they will get back to you.

Find out more here.

7-8pm, Wednesday 21st January 2026 – Online information event for single prospective adopters

This event will take place virtually over Teams, and you can sign up on Eventbrite here.

The team will tell you about the adoption process and one of their many single adopters will be joining to tell you about their experiences of adopting as a solo adopter. They will be happy to answer your questions.

Find out more here.

St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society (Scotland)

Wednesday 21^st January 2026 – in-person open event at 26 Newton Place, Glasgow G3 7PY

If you would like to find out more about adoption, the team at St Margaret’s will be available throughout the day on January 21^st to meet in person at their office in Charing Cross, Glasgow.

If you cannot make it into the office, the team can arrange a call to answer any questions. Please call or email the office: [email protected]; 0141 332 8371.

Find out more here.

Yorkshire Adoption Agency (Yorkshire and surrounding areas)

10am, Saturday 24th January 2026 – In-person event at Sheffield Ecclesall Road Library

Tuesday 27th January 2026 – ChatAdopt session. Please note this event is not on Big Adoption Day itself.

ChatAdopt is open to anyone looking into UK adoption, no matter where you are in your journey. Whether you are wondering about adoption being right for you, all the way through to being registered to start Stage 1 of the process.

The session will give you a brief insight into the UK adoption journey and the process. It will give you the chance to learn more about Yorkshire Adoption Agency and what it provides to its families.  The groups are kept small to give you plenty of time to ask any questions, and they try to have an adopter present to share their experiences adopting with the agency.

Find out more here.

CVAA and Adoption UK, with support from Kinship, Barnardo’s, Coram and CoramBAAF have published this scoping paper to inform the government’s upcoming ‘public engagement in the new year’, a commitment made during the Westminster Hall debate on 4^th September 2025 and reconfirmed recently.

The purpose of this paper is to inform the Department’s planning for the upcoming public consultation, and ensure that:

1. It is a comprehensive consultation which gathers views from children, families, professionals, and wider stakeholders on the future of the ASGSF, with a focus on children’s therapeutic needs as well as seeking views on clearly defined options for future reform.
2. No decisions are taken about future reform before the consultation exercise has been completed, meaning that any future reform should begin no earlier than 2028 to allow time to learn from the consultation and the current RAA pilots.
3. In the meantime, there is a reinstatement of the former ASGSF funding limits – uplifted to account for inflation – or a commitment for the Fund to meet whatever therapeutic needs are identified in an assessment, carried out by a suitably qualified clinician.

The paper takes into consideration the devastating impact of cuts to specialist therapeutic funding made earlier in 2025 and the evidenced need to provide this vital support for adoptees, those in kinship care and their families.

It has been shared with the Children’s Minister and his team, who we look forward to working with in the new year to ensure the consultation is meaningful and genuinely learnt from to positively reshape how support is given to adoptive and kinship families.

Read the scoping paper here.

The BBC has today published findings from a six-month long investigation into the issues being experienced by many adopters seeking support for their families. The numbers cited in this report paint a sad indictment of the adoption system right across the UK. Whilst arrangements for the provision of adoption support vary from nation to nation, the one thing we do know is that every adopted child will need support. CVAA is already involved in work to address inconsistent delivery and access across regions which exacerbates challenges for families who need help more than ever before. But much more action is needed – including investment from government – to amplify the impact of cross sector initiatives such as these.

In today’s report we are presented with accounts of complex support needs not being heard or responded to, and parents being blamed for what is happening. This mirrors exactly what recent research from The Potato Group and the Family Routes study have told us, and what Patch has been highlighting. We know that in England the cuts to the Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) have further damaged the adoption support available for families which is why, along with other voluntary sector organisations like Adoption UK, we have been calling for a review of the cuts and a public consultation on adoption support reform, to ensure better and more consistent provision of support across the board in future.

Our CEO Satwinder Sandhu said

We already know that the needs of adopted children are complex because of the trauma and loss that they have experienced before joining their adoptive families. All the evidence is pointing towards the child’s age at adoption being irrelevant when considering the longer-term issues and needs that emerge for almost all children, which indicates the need for support for much longer than the statutory provisions. It is not good enough that adopters who come forward to care for these children are then left feeling isolated, and in fact blamed, for the issues and risks that they are living with. If the government cannot adequately fund adoption support that recognises the cycle of need children are likely to experience, then it should be stepping back and understanding just what it is they are asking of anyone when encouraging anyone to step forward as prospective parents.

Voluntary Adoption Agencies (VAAs) are at the sharp end of these challenges because 80% of the children they find homes for fall into the most complex needs categories, but they don’t directly receive any government funding to deliver support. The huge investments made in adoption support services by VAAs comes from their own fundraising efforts and through generous trusts and grants. This way VAA adopters can continue to access support that is evidence based and lifelong, which families can tap into whenever they need.

This said, we always urge anyone considering adoption to pick up the phone to an agency first and ask for details about the adoption support they routinely provide. We agree that this information and transparency is absolutely essential for prospective adopters who are considering this route to parenthood and the voluntary sector sees this as an integral responsibility.

Much of the evidence points to adoption being a positive outcome for children when they need alternative permanent family care, and it also highlights that when adopted children and young people are supported robustly, the long term economic and social value of that funding is huge. More importantly though, high quality support gives adopted children and young people an opportunity to heal and thrive. So, along with the adoption community and with our sector colleagues, CVAA will continue to lobby governments for more investment and effective, evidence-based system reform.

Throughout the day, we viewed VAAs not just as adoption specialists, but as nonprofit organisations navigating the same pressures as others: sustaining services, adapting fast, and delivering impact.

Here are three standout takeaways for nonprofits – adoption-focused or otherwise:

Commercial language has a place

‘Selling’ isn’t a popular word in the nonprofit world. It can feel at odds with our charitable values and purpose. But can a reticence to embrace a commercial approach hold us back? We can’t escape the fact that nonprofits must win contracts and funding to survive, and only by surviving can we serve our beneficiaries.

If we feel overlooked at times, perhaps it’s time to reframe our pitch. “They will listen to you if you have something that’s in their interests to hear,” said nonprofit consultant Martyn Drake.

Embracing AI isn’t about technical understanding – it’s about mindset

AI is reshaping every sector, and nonprofits are no exception. Tim Flagg, CEO of UKAI, urged us to embrace the overwhelm and stay curious. Let staff experiment. Test, learn, scale what works. If it doesn’t, move on.

Start with a service user journey audit. Where are humans bogged down by repetitive tasks? That’s where AI can help.

And when it comes to trust, don’t talk about AI as a technology. Show what it can do through stories that resonate.

Be on the front foot with digital

Relationships are at the heart of nonprofit work. But today, trust is also built online. People expect seamless, responsive digital experiences – and nonprofits must keep up.

Laurie Kilby, Practice Lead & Co-Founder at Now Foster, shared how their Weekenders programme reimagines fostering for a new audience who demand a different experience. Their small team includes Tech and Experience Leads so that filling out fostering forms is as simple as using your banking app.

We recommended:

• Extending every parental benefit available to self-employed biological parents—including statutory maternity allowance and shared parental leave—to self-employed adoptive parents.
• Introducing an enhanced adoption-leave package that accounts for pre-placement introduction meetings and post-placement bonding time for both parents.
• Ensuring that employed adopters earning below the adoption-pay threshold can access the same maternity-allowance equivalent available to biological parents.

Voices from Adopters

“Being self-employed comes with a lot of challenges. We work hard, take risks, create jobs, and help build up the economy every day. But when major life events like having a child or adopting come along, we’re often left with limited choices or without support—unlike employees, we don’t always get paid leave, and if we work less, we earn less. It can feel like our hard work and contributions aren’t valued by our government. If the UK truly wants to support business and the entrepreneurial spirit, it needs to extend adoption and maternity leave rights to the self-employed, so we’re not forced to choose between our families and our livelihoods. There are over 4 million self-employed people in the UK. It’s time government policies caught up and made things fair for everyone, whether you’re employed or self-employed.” — Prospective adopter

“I have been self-employed since 2014 and in that time, my wife and I have had two birth children and are currently going through the adoption process. Under current legislation, I am not entitled to any paternity benefits. Given I am self-employed, if I do not work, I do not get paid so taking paternity leave puts added strain on our family finances. I find this incredibly unfair given the amount of tax I pay via a combination of Income Tax, Dividend Tax, Corporation Tax and VAT means I am likely to pay more tax than someone who would do a similar job to mine as a permanent employee. It is another example of self-employed people being penalised despite contributing the same, if not more in tax.” — Approved adopter

“As a self-employed individual currently going through the adoption process, I fully support the push for a change in Government policy to ensure that self-employed people have access to adoption and maternity leave. The current lack of statutory support creates a significant inequality between employed and self-employed individuals. For adopters like myself, it means facing the emotional and financial pressures of early parenthood without the safety net that employed parents are entitled to. This is especially challenging during the critical bonding period, when being fully present for the child is essential for their development and attachment. Self-employed people contribute substantially to the economy, pay taxes, and are expected to meet the same standards in the adoption process as anyone else. Yet we are denied basic parental support at a time when it’s most needed. For many, this policy gap can delay or even deter them from adopting altogether—not because of a lack of willingness or capability, but because of unsustainable practical realities. Providing fair and inclusive support would not only reduce unnecessary stress on adoptive families, but would also widen the pool of potential adopters—something that is clearly needed given the number of children waiting for permanent homes.” — Prospective solo adopter

CVAA will continue to monitor the government’s response to this consultation and will engage further to ensure adoptive families—whatever their employment status—receive the support they deserve.

In recent weeks the Department for Education has been exploring the possibility of devolving the ASGSF to Regional Adoption Agencies, potentially via Adoption England. This question mark over the future of the ASGSF has cast a dark cloud of uncertainty over adoptive families who are unsure whether vital therapeutic support for their children will be available beyond March 2026. It follows a turbulent 2025 so far, marked by delayed funding announcements, freezing of the fund, and damaging cuts to the funding available per child.

The voluntary sector fully supports extended decision-making timelines when they are justified – particularly when they allow for meaningful consultation with adoptive and kinship families and thorough scrutiny of all options. Unfortunately, we are concerned this is not happening. A full consultation with adoption and kinship communities – and with the wider sector – has not taken place, nor are there signs that it will before the key decision is made.

The only documentation we have seen on the potential devolution, published by Adoption England, outlines a series of ambitions and options but lacks any rigorous analysis of the costs and benefits. CVAA has in response presented detailed feedback to the DfE on these proposals as it is essential that any future system for the ASGSF is fair and transparent for all children.

Yesterday we joined Adoption UK, Coram, Kinship, Family Rights Group and Barnardo’s in calling for a full and proper consultation prior to any decisions about future reform of the Fund, via a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Education. We believe this is essential, as plans to devolve the Fund risk undermining its core principles – equity, independent oversight, and central government accountability.

We urge caution against the promise of any entirely new delivery model, especially where claims of cost savings and efficiencies remain untested. Devolving means starting from scratch, waiting years to see a functioning system, with no guarantees that it will work effectively.

The adoption sector has a common vision: a holistic, multi-disciplinary model of adoption support that provides timely, evidence-based therapeutic interventions to children and families. This is entirely achievable via a centralised ASGSF – and we are not too far from this ambition currently. What we need is more flexibility built into the existing model, which harnesses the strengths within the current system of adoption support, including established and effective multidisciplinary teams who know their communities and families inside-out.

It is significant that many key organisations representing adoptive families have spoken out against proposals to devolve the fund – read Adoption UK’s blog here, and Action Against ASGSF Changes’ open letter here.

The risks and disruption are too great for a community who are already experiencing record levels of crisis at home. They need adoption support they can rely on, and they deserve to have their voices heard. The State owes them this.

The letter is available to read here.

A current survey from Adoption UK and Action Against ASGSF Changes found that almost all of those families who have responded so far (204) have had their therapeutic support interrupted or significantly altered (91%). There is strong evidence of delays to the delivery of support (50%), and 31% have
been told to choose between a specialist assessment or therapy. The Minister for Children and Families has previously suggested that local authorities or agencies would be able to cover shortfalls in funding, but families have told us this is not the reality. The survey heard from providers who have had to close as a result of changes, and many say they are now unable to meet the needs of the child under the new Fair
Access Limit.

The letter outlines both moral and economic reasons to review the cuts to the ASGSF.

We are urging our VAA members and adoptive communities to share the letter on their social platforms. Adoptive parents and others who care about this cause can use it to inform any individual action they wish to take, such as:

• Using the letter content to write to your local MP, requesting a meeting. MPs will be spending more time in their constituencies over summer recess (Thursday 24 July to Monday 1 September).
• Speaking to media, with the support of your agency / CVAA.

Please email [email protected] if you would like to discuss further how you can make a difference.

The Minister reiterated that the DfE faced tough budgetary decisions due to growing pressure from the rising number of kinship families and children under Special Guardianship Orders, which is why changes had to be made. She concluded the letter by confirming a roundtable discussion will be had on Wednesday 21st May with key stakeholders on adoption issues, including the ASGSF. Satwinder Sandhu, CEO of CVAA will be attending.

The full letter from the Minister is available here.

In response to the Minister’s letter, Satwinder Sandhu said the following:

“The government’s decision to proceed with cuts to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund is, as we have already said, disappointing and out of step with the urgent needs of adoptive and kinship families. These changes ignore growing demand for therapeutic support and will increase pressure on the NHS and local services—placing already vulnerable children at even greater risk.

It is unacceptable to suggest that local authorities, already facing acute financial pressures, divert essential preventative funding to compensate for the government’s withdrawal. This is not just inadequate—it undermines the long-term stability of family placements. We are therefore keen to explain to the Minister why we feel this way and I am grateful to have the opportunity to do this in person. We know that as a social worker she has a good understanding of these issues but we also appreciate the pressures the department is under.

In the meantime, though, we are continuing to hear directly from adoptive and kinship families who fear for their children’s mental health and their ability to access vital services. These voices cannot be ignored.

Together with our partners we will therefore continue to press the government to reconsider its position for 2025–26. At the same time, we are calling for urgent cross-sector collaboration to address the immediate challenges and design a sustainable, long-term plan for the ASGSF. The Spending Review is a critical opportunity to secure stable funding and ensure that no adoptive or kinship family is left behind. CVAA remains committed to ensuring families get the support they need to thrive.”