A new CoramBAAF and Archives and Records Association (ARA) platform will give care experienced and adopted people better access to their records.
Josh Macallister MP to write to local authorities to ensure the "platform is used and that they participate fully in it."
The Minister for Children and Families went on to confirm a consultation on changes to adoption record retention periods with a view to extending retention periods to protect people's records.
To stay up to date with this project sign up via the link in our bio.
@joshmacalistermp
#Adoption #CareExperienced #WeAreCoram
As part of our programme of activities to mark the centenary of adoption by telling the story of its evolution, Coram invited people touched by adoption to share their stories.
We have received a range of stories capturing the diverse experiences of adopted people, adoptive parents, birth families and others touched by adoption and we are very grateful to be trusted with them.
Nina Sparks was born in 1990 and is of Asian heritage. She was adopted into a white British family via Coram.
“My family are lovely. My two brothers are my Mum and Dad’s birth children and my sister and I are both of Indian heritage although we were adopted from two different families. I think because I’m in such a caring and accepting family being transracially adopted was never a big thing. I’m guessing Coram did some work with my two brothers before I came along. I think that helped them to be sensitive to what was happening. My parents are just really nice people. They’d do anything for anybody and often do! I think I’ve managed to inherit my parents positive attitude.”
Read Nina’s story via the link in our Instagram bio.
We would also like to congratulate Nina for competing in the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games as Great Britain's first ever female snowboarder 🙌 @snowyoda_gb
#WeAreCoram #Adoption #Lifestories #ParalympicGames #Snowboarding
Our Childcare Survey 2026 is published today, 25 years after the first survey in 2001. In it, we look back over a quarter of a century of data collection on the cost of childcare.
Childcare costs have increased at a higher rate than inflation over the last 25 years.
The cost of a part-time (25 hour) childcare place for a child under two in spring 2024 was nearly triple what it was in 2001.
For families eligible for the entitlement, now fully expanded to 30 hours, a part-time place for a child under two may now theoretically be free during term-time, and the cost of a full-time place for children under three is down by 39% on last year.
However, Scotland and Wales see price rises in 2026 of 5% and 8% respectively and childcare costs for three-to-four-year-olds are up across Great Britain.
But families who are not eligible for the entitlements - because they are not in work, do not earn enough or do not meet other criteria – pay an average of £189 per week for a part-time nursery place for a child under two, meaning there is a real risk that disadvantaged children are being priced out of accessing the same early years education as those eligible for 30 government-funded hours.
Read the full Coram Childcare Survey 2026 via the link in our bio.
#Childcaresurvey2026 #WeAreCoram #Childcare #UKdata
Govt. Fostering Innovation Fund announcement 🔴
"This investment is a timely and clear acknowledgment of the strength and potential of a fostering sector that is already rich with creativity, commitment and practical innovation. What is particularly encouraging is the opportunity this fund creates for local authorities, independent fostering agencies and wider partners to work together more intentionally, as collaboration is essential if we are serious about improving outcomes for children in care." Dr Carol Homden CBE, CEO, Coram
While new and more flexible models of care will undoubtedly help attract a broader range of people into fostering, we shouldn’t lose sight of our greatest asset: the exceptional foster carers already doing this work every day. Their voices, experience and advocacy are often the most powerful recruitment tool we have. Funding innovative projects and practice that also strengthens retention by helping carers feel heard, respected and properly supported will be just as important as growing numbers. When recruitment and retention are given equal focus this has the potential to make the biggest difference for children and young people who need stability through long-lasting trusting and loving relationships above all else.
Read the full announcement via the link in our bio.
#FosteringReform #wearecoram
During Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re highlighting the importance of supporting mental health practitioners working with children in care, on the edge of care, or post-care.
Mental health practitioners working with children who have a social worker often face complex decisions about how best to meet children’s emotional needs.
Coram Creative Therapy is hosting a series of roundtable sessions for practitioners and therapists, including those working in CAMHS, local authority services, third sector organisations and specialist trauma services.
The sessions will create space to share insights from real-world practice, including the challenges of delivering evidence-based interventions in complex situations.
The ideas and experiences shared will help inform a short report capturing practitioner perspectives and identifying what support and guidance may be needed.
Find out more and book your place:
🔗 .uk/training-and-events/learning-from-mental-health-practitioners/
#WeAreCoram #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealth #ChildrensMentalHealth #CreativeTherapy #ChildrensSocialCare #TraumaInformedPractice
As part of our programme of activities to mark the centenary of adoption by telling the story of its evolution, Coram invited people touched by adoption to share their stories.
We have received a range of stories capturing the diverse experiences of adopted people, adoptive parents, birth families and others touched by adoption and we are very grateful to be trusted with them.
Last week, we shared Cecile’s story. This week, we hear from her daughter Clementine.
Clementine was adopted in 2000. In their story, they reflect on adoption, identity, family, creativity and what it means to understand your own story.
“Yes, I am grateful I’ve had stability, a good home and a decent education. But adoption isn’t a fairy tale ending—it’s the beginning of a whole other story with its own traumas.”
Read Clementine’s story on the link in our bio.
You can also read Cecile’s story to hear her perspective as Clementine’s adoptive mother.
#WeAreCoram #Adoption #Lifestories #AdoptionStory #AdoptionCentenary
Join us for an online event to mark the publication of Left But Not Forgotten: The Children of the Foundling Hospital at Chester.
Until now, the extraordinary and moving story of the young children who came to the Chester branch of London’s Foundling Hospital in the eighteenth century has somehow been overlooked.
Prize-winning author Dr Anthony Annakin-Smith will share his research into the lives of the 306 children who were cared for in Chester and the surrounding villages — from birth and admission, through nursing and apprenticeship, to what happened after they left.
Monday 18 May at 4.00–5.00pm
Online event 💻
🔗Book your place on the link in our bio.
#WeAreCoram #CoramStory #FoundlingHospital #Chester #ChildrensHistory #FoundlingHospitalChester
📢 We’re proud to announce the expansion of the national project Restorative Justice - The Evidence: A pilot for the youth justice system of England & Wales.
🤝 Led by RJ4All, supported by the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, backed by multi-year funding from the @youthendowfund , and independently evaluated by @coram.uk , this pilot aims to strengthen the evidence base for restorative justice in youth justice settings and support more consistent, high-quality restorative justice practice for children, young people, and communities.
🔗 Read the full press release here: /restorative-justice-the-evidence-pilot-expansion/
(Link also available in our profile)
🙏 Thank you to our partners and participating Youth Justice Services for making this possible.
#RestorativeJustice #YouthJustice #EvidenceBasedPractice #England #Wales #CriminalJustice #SocialJustice #RJ4All
Childminders are changing lives every day. Coram PACEY's new Magic of Childminding report shines a light on the extraordinary impact of childminding across England and Wales.
Read more via the link in our bio.
Swipe through to explore key findings from the report 👉
#ChildmindingWeek2026 #MagicofChildminding
#WeAreCoram
Happy Childminding Week 2026!
We’re kicking off the week outside the Department for Education to celebrate the incredible childminders making a difference to children and families every single day.
Join us this week as we celebrate the #MagicOfChildminding
#ChildmindingWeek26 #MagicOfChildminding #WeAreCoram @Coram
Happy Childminding Week 2026 ✨11–17 May
This week we’re celebrating the #MagicOfChildminding — the care, creativity, support and special moments that make childminding so important for children and families.
We’ve got lots planned this week…
Swipe through to see what’s coming 👀
#ChildmindingWeek26 #MagicOfChildminding #WeAreCoram @Coram
As part of our programme of activities to mark the centenary of adoption by telling the story of its evolution, Coram invited people touched by adoption to share their stories.
We have received a range of stories capturing the diverse experiences of adopted people, adoptive parents, birth families and others touched by adoption and we are very grateful to be trusted with them.
Cecile adopted Clementine in 2000.
“When I held Clementine for the first time I had to kind of gather myself to stop the tears taking over again. I felt a bond straightaway and we loved Clementine immediately.”
In her story, Cecile reflects on becoming a parent through adoption, the complexity of love, grief and identity, and the lifelong relationship between her and Clementine.
“Being Clementine’s Mum has made me grow in ways I never would have done with a biological child. Our relationship is the most profound of my life.”
Read Cecile’s story on the link in our bio.
Follow us next week to hear Clementine’s story in their own words.
#WeAreCoram #Adoption #Lifestories #AdoptionStory #AdoptionCentenary
