Adoption East Midlands newsletter July 2026

We are delighted that our Book of Belonging, created through the Home and Belonging Creative Writing Project, successfully launched at the Nottingham Poetry Festival on 14 June.

Service Manager, Lisa Drummond, celebrated contributions from resident author, Jay Sandhu, illustrator, Luke Jackson, Head of Nottingham Poetry Festival, Alma Solarte-Tobon, and young people across the region.

The event was a wonderful occasion, with young people proudly sharing their poems and stories, bringing their powerful voices and experiences to life.

The book is now available to buy, and all proceeds go to supporting Breaks for Families, a charity providing funded breaks for adoptive families. The project will also be showcased later this year, details to follow.

We still have spaces on our senior's activity day on Wednesday, 28 July, 9am to 3.30pm. This event will offer thrilling, age-specific adventures funded by the Nottinghamshire holiday activities and food programme (HAF).

Young people will enjoy outdoor challenges, team games and exciting activities designed to build confidence and create unforgettable memories, all in a fully accessible environment where everyone is welcome. Spaces are limited, and all applications will be reviewed for eligibility.

Our Connect youth groups are looking for members. It’s a friendly, monthly group where young people can meet others, have fun and make decisions about the activities.

We have a new group in Derbyshire starting in July, and a group in Nottinghamshire with plenty of space for new members. Get in touch if you are interested but would like to meet a youth worker first.

Are you a solo adopter? Would you like to connect with and support other solo adopters?

Here at Peers4Peers, we’re looking for volunteers who have adopted on their own, or who have since become solo adopters, to offer friendly one-to-one peer support to others on a similar journey.

If you’d like to find out more or get involved, we’d love to hear from you.

The Belay Foundation is offering free support to adoptive families to help them apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Experienced volunteer mentors, who have completed the process themselves, provide practical guidance through video calls and a supportive WhatsApp group to help parents complete applications confidently and accurately.
The service is funded by Adoption England and is free for adopters.

Our joint workshops with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide a safe and supportive space for adoptive parents to explore and understand their children’s emotional wellbeing through a trauma-informed approach.

We have created three workshops in total, each one will be facilitated by a CAMHS worker and therapeutic adoption support social worker and will cover topics such as developmental trauma, neuro development and self-harm.

The next workshop will take place on Friday, 10 July.

Making Connections Online draws on Theraplay, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), Non-Violent Resistance Parenting (NVR) and sensory development principles.

We use these models to explore the impact of early adversity, its influence on family life, and approaches that foster connection. Topics include early trauma, brain development, and child to parent violence.

Delivered by therapeutically trained social workers, the programme helps parents understand challenges and strengthen emotional connections with their children whilst allowing them to meet and support each other.

The group consists of six online learning sessions plus an individual online session for each family, to apply their learning to everyday situations.

Does your child have a diagnosis, or do you suspect your child may be neurodivergent or have foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)? The Neurowise group intervention may be for you.

This programme helps parents, carers and children by explaining how the brain works and providing practical support and guidance. It is designed specifically for families affected by FASD and neurodiversity, helping them understand challenges and build on strengths.

This virtual six-week group begins on Monday, 14 September 2026.