Adoption East Midlands newsletter March 2026

This week is LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week, an annual campaign to encourage more LGBTQ+ people to explore adoption and fostering. This year’s campaign challenges the myth that there’s a ‘perfect time’ to begin that journey.

We’ve been out and about in the region this week sharing this message and we’d love to meet you at any of our upcoming events - keep an eye on social media to see where we’ll be. If you are interested in getting in touch to discuss adopting again, or if you know someone who is - now could be the right time!

Our Theraplay® group is a four day in-person interactive intervention led by a Theraplay practitioner.

The intervention supports children and parents to develop a deeper connection and will focus on the four essential qualities found in healthy parent-child relationships, including structure, engagement, nurture and challenge.

The next group starts on Friday 5 June.

Ofsted wants to hear your views about the adoption agency that placed your child with you.

The annual survey aims to gather information to build a national picture of people’s experiences with providers and will also inform future inspections.

This survey is open until Sunday 22 March 2026. If you have any questions about the survey, you can contact Ofsted at: socialcarepitsurvey@ofsted.gov.uk.

We’re excited to offer a unique narrow boat experience for juniors, seniors and SEND young people.

Each session runs from 10am to 2.30pm on 7, 8 and 9 April in Nottingham City. Spaces are limited to just nine per session. Please ensure you read all terms and conditions carefully before booking.

Discover our popular Adoption East Midlands youth clubs and Voices of Adoption forums — welcoming spaces where adopted young people aged 10 and over can build confidence, friendships and develop new skills.

Each group offers fun activities, emotional support and a strong sense of belonging. Empower your young person to build on their strengths, celebrate who they are, and thrive within a supportive community.

We offer one-hour online consultations with speech and language therapist, Bethan Arden-Jones, who is a is a specialist in language difficulties and autism.

These sessions give you the opportunity to discuss your child’s communication and behaviour, resulting in tailored advice on supporting your child’s communication along with practical strategies and guidance on the next steps.

Our adoptees co-production group was formed in the autumn of 2024 made up of adult adoptees and Adoption East Midlands’ staff. This group meets every two months on Microsoft Teams, to discuss adoption-related topics and gaps in support services.

The input from adoptees has been invaluable in improving and expanding our support offer for adoptees throughout their lifetime. As a result, the Care Pathway has been created, and we are currently working on an adoptee handbook.

We want to thank all those who attend for their contributions and commitment to helping us to enhance our services

The Department for Education (DfE) has now announced that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Fund (ASGSF) will continue into the 2026 to 2027 financial year, under the same criteria as the current financial year.

As a result, we are now able to submit applications for work starting from April 2026 onwards but please bear with us during this busy period.

The DfE has also launched an open consultation, ’Adoption support that works for all’. We would encourage adoptive families to read through and comment, using the link below. The consultation closes on Tuesday, 5 May 2026.