Press releases

Season of spring conferences around children in care

Issued: 25 February 2008

Some of the UK’s leading experts in adoption and fostering are being brought together for a season of spring conferences.

The conferences are being organised by The British Association of Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) and cover a range of hot topical issues, such as inter-country adoption and the contribution of men to caring for children. The list of conferences includes:

Care matters - holding children in mind
27th & 28th February, Clifford Chance (Canary Wharf)

The newly published White Paper ‘Care Matters: Time for Change’ proposes a radical transformation of the care system. Following the government's lead on taking children and young people’s views seriously, local authorities and others will in the future be held to account by young people, both individually and corporately.

Inter-country adoption in the UK - trends, reflections and challenges
1st March, Imperial College London

This conference is a joint venture from BAAF in conjunction with OASIS. In addition to hearing about significant new research on inter-country outcomes and changing trends, participants will be able to focus on some of the key issues facing us, whether we are adopters or adoptees, professionals or researchers.

Good practice in supporting birth parents in adoption
24th April, London Voluntary Sector Resource Centre

In planning for adoption, the child is placed ‘at the heart’ of the process. This does not mean that the child’s birth parents are to be ignored. Yet for a variety of reasons, birth families, may not receive the right support or services. This conference identifies the contribution that research has made to these issues; hears from practitioners with experiences of providing support to birth families; considers the elements of good practice for lawyers in supporting, advising and representing birth parents and families; and explores the long term benefits for the child of ensuring birth families are well supported throughout the adoption process and beyond.

Further information on all of BAAF’s conferences and workshops is in the Training and Conferences section.