Social worker talking to child

Working together for children in care

CoramBAAF is the UK’s leading membership organisation for professionals working across adoption, fostering and kinship care.

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What's new

  • Making the case for better mental health support for children in care

    James Bury, CoramBAAF’s Head of Policy, Research and Development, shares reflections on a key report that has been launched this week. ‘Increasing access to evidence-informed mental health service provision for children in care in England – National recommendations for change’ was authored by Professor Rachel Hiller alongside key academic authors and contributors and has been supported by CoramBAAF, UCL and UK Trauma Council.

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  • Concern about the cuts in funding to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund

    James Bury, CoramBAAF’s Head of Policy, Research, and Development, expresses concern about the cuts in funding to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) and the uncertainty about its future.

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  • Foster Care Fortnight: The power of relationships - helping children in care learn to trust and thrive

    In this heartfelt conversation for Foster Care Fortnight, foster carer Paul Calder shares powerful stories that highlight the importance of consistent, compassionate relationships in helping children in care learn to trust and thrive. Through practical examples and emotional turning points, Paul emphasises how small, everyday actions can have lasting impacts on a young person’s sense of belonging and self-worth.

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Upcoming training, events and conferences

SAVE THE DATE

child sitting on adults shoulders

Kinship Care Conference 2025

13 October | 9:30am - 4:30pm | London
CoramBAAF's Kinship Care Conference is a key event in the calendar of social work practitioners working alongside kinship families. The day aims to create a supportive and collaborative learning experience to empower practitioners with up to date knowledge and current best practice.

Register your interest

Anti-racist practice and cultural humility in social work

30 May | 9.45am - 4pm | Zoom
This course is an opportunity to understand key concepts and consider why anti-racist practice and cultural humility matter. You will be supported to explore how you can build relationships with families that honour diverse perspectives and recognise unique needs, and explore tools to enable you to better understand the identities of children and their families.

Book your place

Safeguarding for fostering panels

2 June 2025 | 9.45am - 1pm | Zoom
Safeguarding is a shared responsibility for any of us working with children. This course is an opportunity to reflect more deeply on your role as a panel member when thinking about safeguarding children. It will provide you with an opportunity to re-visit some of the key legislation that governs your role.

Book your place

An introduction to private fostering

3 June 2025 | 9.45am - 4pm | Zoom
This course is an opportunity to explore the legal and practice framework of private fostering, including thinking about how to identify and work with this often unseen group of children. It will include explanation of the respective responsibilities of parents, private foster carers and local authorities, when private fostering arrangements are made. Since the war in Ukraine, some Ukrainian children who have travelled to the UK for safety, are living in private fostering arrangements, and this introductory course will also briefly explore their needs.

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Starter packs for newly qualified social workers

To help newly qualified social workers, or those that want to refresh their knowledge, we have created a fostering and adoption starter pack. You will receive our top selling titles at a discounted price.

IN OUR BOOKSHOP

Adoption now book covers

Adoption starter pack

Get 'Adoption now', 'Making good assessments', and 'The child's legal journey through care' for £45 (usually £54.90).

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Fostering starter pack

Get 'Fostering now', 'Making good assessments', and 'The child's legal journey through care' for £40 (usually £49.90).

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Bumper fostering starter pack

Timeless bestsellers that offer invaluable guidance for the vital work of fostering professionals. Dive into these essential resources to gain practical insights and robust guidance, whether you're just starting or a seasoned professional. Get this bundle for £75 (usually £82.80).

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