recruitment, preparation and approval of adopters to be linked with children looked after by local authorities

matching children and adopters in collaboration with local authorities

supporting introductions

supporting adoptive families post placement

assisting adopters to make their application to the court for an adoption order, and throughout the court process

provision of a range of adoption support services including:

• Telephone/postal advice/email information service

• Liaison/short term counselling/initial assessment and referral to specialist local services which may be available in relation to matters such as:

  • challenging behaviour

  • contact issues

  • educational/medical/legal issues

  • lifestory issues

  • implications of events in the birth/adoptive family

• Letterbox contact system as and when appropriate. This may include administrative support, recording and monitoring, liaising regarding contact, e.g. advice on writing letters, help in renegotiating level of contact etc.

• Counselling in preparation for tracing, intermediary services, reunion and post reunion support.

• Access to workshop/support groups for members of adoptive families (this may be via own agency or the agency’s membership of regional consortia etc.)

• Access to/information about resources such as videos, books and specialist services.

• Opportunities for networking with other adoptive families, including social events for adoptive families.

• Agency up-dates for adoptive families, e.g. newsletters and AGMs.

• Individual families and adoptive children and adults may use some or all of these services at different times in their lives. Local Authorities cannot select which items to purchase as it is unknown what services will be required in the future. The intention is to recognise by way of a modest fee, the costs to CVAA members of providing a global post adoption service that is available at the time of need and for which the adoptive families and adoptive children and adults are not charged a fee.