Coram Activity Days

Nearly 1,500 children across Britain have found adoptive families through Adoption Activity Days since they were launched over a decade ago. The Days give prospective adopters, foster carers, children and siblings the opportunity to interact with one another in a safe, supported and fun environment.

Activity Days are informal events delivered by specialist staff that enable prospective adopters and foster carers to discover whether they feel an emotional connection with a child, rather than simply relying on a written profile, and importantly give the children the same opportunity.

Making a connection

Each Activity Day is a themed event, full of child-centred and age-appropriate play, activities and entertainment. They are designed to encourage positive interaction between children of all ages and their prospective permanent carers. They are a unique way of finding permanence for many of those children who wait the longest.

In 2022, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our Adoption Activity Days (AADs). At least 1,400 children have found adoptive families since we launched the programme, equating to a match for one in every four children attending an AAD.

“I was very impressed with the way in which the Activity Day was organised. I feel we were supported all the way through the process and everyone there was really nice and helpful.”
Foster carer who attended an activity day
“On the day, we were given enough time to play with all the children; and it was during this event that we found our little one. We felt an immediate connection with him... It was a wonderful and life changing experience."
Adoptive parents who adopted through an activity day
“The day made me happy! I liked talking to the people and playing.”
A, aged 3

Sibling Time Activity Days

Sibling Time is our new and unique service that brings groups of siblings together for valuable fun and safe contact sessions. Brothers and sisters may be in separate settings: adopted, in foster, residential or kinship care, with Special Guardians or with birth parents. More than one-fifth of children in care feel that they see their siblings too little and this figure is higher for young people aged 11-18 years*.

Sibling Time events are child-centred, with activities suitable for babies all the way up to young adults. The most important factor is that brothers and sisters spend quality time with one another and that everybody has fun. We are looking to partner with agencies who are interested in delivering Sibling Time sessions.

Upcoming Activity Days

Adoption Activity Day: West Midlands, Saturday 19 October

If you’d like to attend our Adoption Activity Day, talk to your social worker. Referrals are free of charge but you will need to be in at least Stage 2 of the assessment process with a positive recommendation from your social worker.

For more information, please talk to your social worker or email adoption.activitydays@coram.org.uk.

Adoption Activity Day: London, Saturday 23 November

If you’d like to attend our Adoption Activity Day, talk to your social worker. Referrals are free of charge but you will need to be in at least Stage 2 of the assessment process with a positive recommendation from your social worker.

For more information, please talk to your social worker or email adoption.activitydays@coram.org.uk.

Adoption Activity Day: Nottingham, Saturday 25 January

If you’d like to attend our Adoption Activity Day, talk to your social worker. Referrals are free of charge but you will need to be in at least Stage 2 of the assessment process with a positive recommendation from your social worker.

For more information, please talk to your social worker or email adoption.activitydays@coram.org.uk.

Adoption Activity Day: London, Saturday 22 February

If you’d like to attend our Adoption Activity Day, talk to your social worker. Referrals are free of charge but you will need to be in at least Stage 2 of the assessment process with a positive recommendation from your social worker.

For more information, please talk to your social worker or email adoption.activitydays@coram.org.uk.

Adoption Activity Day: Cheshire, Saturday 29 March

If you’d like to attend our Adoption Activity Day, talk to your social worker. Referrals are free of charge but you will need to be in at least Stage 2 of the assessment process with a positive recommendation from your social worker.

For more information, please talk to your social worker or email adoption.activitydays@coram.org.uk.

How to join an Activity Day

We run Adoption Activity Days and Activity Days for Fostering across England and Wales during school terms times. If you’re interested in finding out more about Activity Days, get in touch on adoption.activitydays@coram.org.uk [email preferred] or call 020 7239 4999.

Email us to find an activity day near you

 

Our Adoption Activity Days are supported by the Big Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund.

*Staying Connected, 2022