Identity & Connection
CVAA’s first strategic priority is ensuring that adoptees are supported by informed, empathetic adopters and VAAs, so that they develop a lifelong positive sense of identity and belonging, underpinned by continuing connections and ongoing meaningful relationships with the people that matter to them.
The need for change
In recent years, the importance of supporting children’s lifelong identities has been better understood along with the role that maintaining positive and meaningful relationships with birth families and other significant people in their early lives plays in this. Adoptee voices have been instrumental in shifting the focus in this area. The rise in social media provides new routes for adopted young people to make their own connections with birth relatives, so it is crucial that adoptive parents understand how (and why) they can support this and also be mindful of any risks. An inter-sectional approach to this work that recognises the additional identity needs of children from the Global Majority, and those that might identity as LGBTQ+ needs to continue to develop.
What are we doing?
We working with members to ensure that VAAs support and embed the change that is required to better maintain the connections that matter to children and young people.
We are:
- Growing support among senior decision makers for greater understanding of all care experienced children’s identities and connections, and the need for a sector-wide approach supported by investment to drive this forward.
- Pioneering changes in adoption through messages from research and lived experience, and demonstrating the adoption sector’s commitment to preserving and celebrating children’s identities, relationships and histories.
- Empowering VAAs to develop their practice and services in this area, especially around supporting direct and digital relationships, through providing data & insights and creating forums for the sharing of new ideas, examples and opportunities.
- Ensuring that VAAs honour the voluntary sector’s commitment to lifelong support by working with adoptees to understand and champion their needs throughout adulthood, particularly at key stages of life, with a strong focus on equity.
Recent progress:
- CVAA’s CEO sat on the advisory group for the Public law working group adoption sub group, which produced its groundbreaking report into adoption in November 2024, focused primarily on children’s ‘contact’.
- In November 2024 we responded to the final Public Law Working Group report on adoption, welcoming many recommendations but warning that new and sustained funding is absolutely critical to deliver on its recommendations.
- In April 2024 we published ‘My People’, our vision for a new network and hub dedicated to preserving children’s lifelong connections with their birth families and other key people in their lives. My People is a blueprint for bringing to life the recommendations made by multiple studies and independent reviews into children’s social care, which have repeatedly called for more attention to promoting children’s lifelong relationships.
- Ahead of the new government’s 2024 Budget and Spending Review, CVAA has lobbied for a £40million ‘Identity and Connection fund’ which would fund a range of projects supporting care experienced (including adopted) children’s identities and connections in different ways.
- Between 2021-2023 CVAA was heavily invested in influencing the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. This included responding to the Review’s Case for Change in August 2021, putting forward our own case for change in September 2021, submitting our top ideas for change, lobbying for recognition of certain key challenges in adoption, and responding to the Children’s Social Care Implementation Strategy. A common thread throughout all these policy responses was that relationship support for all care experienced children must be radically reformed.
- Every year at CVAA’s annual conference we have lived experience speakers discussing their experiences of contact. Professors such as Beth Neil, Harriet Ward and Julie Selwyn have also spoken at past events on the research evidence behind better supporting children’s lifelong relationships, as well as other experts including Mrs Justice Judd, Family Division Liaison Judge for the Western Circuit.
- CVAA is represented on cross-sector working groups to improve practice in this area, and its members are part of a programme to deliver culture change across the sector. We are also involved in work developing new national standards on maintaining relationships.