Adoption East Midlands newsletter October 2026

Many adoptive families experience daily challenges around personal hygiene, from showering to brushing teeth.

These routines can become a source of frustration and conflict, particularly for young people with sensory processing differences, ADHD, or executive functioning difficulties (disruption in mental skills that help plan, focus, manage time and regulate emotions).

Hygiene tasks often feel overwhelming, uncomfortable, or simply not rewarding enough to prioritise. We have provided some resources explaining the reasons behind these challenges to help make hygiene routines easier, calmer, and less of a battleground for everyone.

We were delighted to have Jane and Chris from Adoptee Insight join us at a virtual learning event to hear them share their lived experience as adult adoptees.

Adoptee Insight was created to give adopted adults a voice and share what has helped them. They are passionate about the importance of including the voices of adopted adults in adopter preparation and ongoing support.

We look forward to using these insights to strengthen our own services.

This October half term, we are inviting young people to join us in Rowsley, Derbyshire for a creative and inclusive day designed around choice, creativity and having fun.
The environment offers interactive arts displays, sensory-focused activities and access to quieter, regulating spaces. Young people can choose how they take part, move between activities and take breaks when they need them.

The dates of the events are:

• Thursday 22 October 2026 (for mixed ages)
• Monday 26 October 2026 (for mixed ages)

Places are limited, so please talk to your young person before booking to make sure they would like to attend.

Join our upcoming online workshops exploring the challenges and opportunities that school transitions can bring for adopted young people.

Transitions in Primary (7 October, 9.30am to 12pm) focuses on transitions throughout the primary years, including moving from Key Stage 2 to 3.

Transitions in Secondary (12 October, 9.30am to 12pm) explores secondary school life, covering friendships, social media, homework, exams and puberty.

Our adopters support hub is continually being updated and refreshed to reflect our support offer.

We've updated our core offer, group sessions, youth services and education information, including details of our new youth groups. We're also adding 2027 dates for our core offer sessions and group interventions.

Breaks for Families (BFF) supports adoptive families across the Adoption East Midlands region with restorative, confidence building breaks designed to nurture the skills and interests of our young people.

They create safe, trauma informed breaks where young people can grow, connect and thrive including outdoor adventure, paddle sports, animal care, mountain biking, dance and song writing.