This year as we have been celebrating our tenth birthday we are extremely proud to have received a judgement of Good in all areas from Ofsted.
10 Years working to create families as a Voluntary Adoption Agency
Adopters for Adoption opened its doors as a Voluntary Adoption Agency (not for profit) in 2014 and has found homes for nearly 300 children in this time, growing families around the country.. Almost half of these children were placed alongside a sibling. The national average for children placed with a sibling is around 33 per cent.
Last year the we found safe and happy homes for 55 children, 41 per cent of these were sibling groups, including one set of three siblings. More than 30 per cent of the children were aged four or older, and 20% per cent of the children were from black, Asian and mixed heritage communities.
What do Ofsted say about AFA?
The Ofsted report commended our agency on the support provided to adoptive parents at every step of their adoption journey, it said:
“Applicants experience acceptance from their first contact. This means people who may have previously ruled themselves out of adoption have an opportunity to explore the possibilities.”
Ofsted’s report celebrated the agency’s ability to appropriately prepare adoptive parents, saying:
‘adopters feel empowered to parent’ and ‘children benefit from living with families that understand the impact of their previous life experiences.’
Ofsted spoke directly to adopters during their inspection and their report quotes an adopter :
Ofsted’s report celebrated the agency’s ability to appropriately prepare adoptive parents, saying ‘adopters feel empowered to parent’ and ‘children benefit from living with families that understand the impact of their previous life experiences.’
One adopter at AFA said: “It’s very clear to us that this agency knows what they are doing and that ultimately, they are seeking the best outcome for children. During the several stages of training we have been on, they have helped us so much. We have learned what our future adopted children will need, how to best support them and how to make sure they are heard.”
AFA Team proud and looking forward to the future
Sally Heaven-Richards, Head of Services at Adopters for Adoption since 2018 (and an adopter herself) said:
“We’re proud to have reached this milestone as a voluntary adoption agency. We are trying to educate communities about what adoption really looks like, creating happy families along the way.
“Our adoptive community is diverse; people look to adopt for all sorts of reasons – our goal is to provide accurate information, manage expectations, and ultimately, provide permanent homes for children with loving, stable parents.”
Adoption provides an alternative path to parenthood for those who are unable to conceive or may choose the non-biological route for other reasons.
