Read our news updates to find out about our latest views, work and developments.
CoramBAAF welcomes the Education Committee’s report on children’s social care, which highlights urgent issues such as a shortage of foster carers, inadequate mental health support, and poor outcomes for care leavers. The report makes key recommendations to improve the system, and calls for strong Government action to better support vulnerable children and families.
The Netflix drama ‘Adolescence’ has highlighted online risks, to which children in care are especially vulnerable due to trauma and separation. CoramBAAF offers resources to help carers and professionals support digital safety and the mental health of children. These include guides, risk tools, and age-appropriate books for children.
Ellie Johnson, CoramBAAF’s Health Consultant, highlights recent reviews that reveal a gap between policy and practice in health services. Today’s Annual Health Conference invites us to ask: are children in care truly receiving the fair and equal support promised by the NHS?
Once again, we are asking our members to take part in our private fostering survey. CoramBAAF would like to support a better understanding of this often hidden group of children, by asking our members about private fostering in their local authority.
Dr. Lynn Snow, a paediatrician and Churchill Fellow, explores the often-overlooked issue of post-adoption depression (PAD) and its impact on adoptive families, drawing insights from her research in the U.S.and Europe to inform change in the UK. She is now championing a new pilot in Leicester to embed emotional wellbeing support for adoptive parents within the health visiting service, aiming to normalise and proactively address PAD at every stage of the adoption journey.
At a recent adoption exchange day in London, CoramBAAF hosted a bookstall to share essential resources with prospective adopters and social workers. Popular titles like 'The adopter’s handbook' and 'Adopting a child' continue to play a key role in guiding families through the adoption journey.
In this episode of CoramBAAF Conversations, Jo Francis (Publications Manager) is joined by Hedy Cleaver and Wendy Rose OBE to talk about their Good Practice Guide, 'Child sexual abuse in foster and kinship care, special guardianship and adoption: Learning from safeguarding reviews 2007–2022'.
CoramBAAF’s Annual Health Conference brings together health professionals working with care-experienced and adopted children to focus on improving inclusive practices, with this year’s theme highlighting equality, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Michelle Bond shares how the event encourages valuable learning, collaboration, and reflection on supporting vulnerable and marginalised groups in healthcare.
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.
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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