01244 390 938
01244 390 938
This National Adoption Week, we’re celebrating the ‘perfectly imperfect’ homes that make adoption possible. Adoption isn’t about perfection – it’s about creating a space where a child feels safe, loved, and truly at home. Our own adopters, Emma and Mike feature in this campaign film and we are proud to share more of our adopters stories below.
The making of ‘A Welcome Home’ 🎬 the campaign film for National Adoption Week
Across England there are 2,940 children waiting for adoption but just 1,525 adopters approved, meaning a shortfall of 1,415 adopters.
This means children are waiting longer in care for a family. We want to help change that, could you?
Emma and Mike adopted their son and daughter, aged 5 and 6, with Adoption Matters. They first connected with their children through one of our online video profiles, and the rest is history. They commented:
“Adoption wasn’t our Plan B – it was our Plan A+. Every step, challenge, and moment of uncertainty brought us closer to our children – and now, we simply can’t imagine life without them. They’ve taught us more than we ever thought possible. We haven’t perfected parenthood – far from it – but we’re learning, growing, and laughing every day. Our home is certainly louder and messier than before, but it’s also full of life. We don’t feel like an adoptive family. We just feel like a family.”
Adoption was always part of April’s plan – something she dreamed of since childhood. Having grown up in a challenging environment and seen her sister’s children raised in permanent foster care, she knew she wanted to offer a child the kind of love, stability, and joy she had longed for herself.
But it took a while for April to reach out to an adoption agency, mainly over fears her circumstances – being a single queer woman and living in a small home. Instead, everything she thought might be a barrier turned out to be a strength.
With the support of close friends and her trusted social worker at Adoption Matters, April was matched with Alexander (aged 17 months at the time) soon after being approved at adoption panel.
Morgan and Derry adopted their son, then aged 5 with Adoption Matters in 2024.
“One of our first memories was going blackberry picking with our son. We were staying in a hotel at the time but were desperate to give him the jam he had asked for, so we bought a jar and labelled it ‘Daddy’s Jam’ – just something small to make him smile. Now, we’ve made our own several times, enough to feed all the neighbours. It’s become a sweet little tradition, and a reminder that love isn’t about grand gestures – it’s about showing up, creating joy in the everyday, and building something lasting together. That jar of jam was the beginning of our story, and every spoonful since has been a celebration of how far we’ve come on our adoption journey.”
We regularly host online adoption information events for anyone curious about adoption. Join online from the comfort of your home, ideally with a camera-enabled device. There is no pressure to proceed to the next step if you attend our event – we’re here to walk alongside you, at your pace, with honest guidance and helpful information.
Our events are led by experienced enquiry team members and a social worker. We’ll share a presentation, walk you through the adoption process, and explain the ongoing support we offer. There will also be time for questions.
Events typically last 60–90 minutes, depending on participation. Joining instructions will be sent in advance.
We're here for you to support your past, your present, and your future. Our Centre for Fostering and Adoption Support offers our families and adopted adults a wide range of services to support them.
Adoption Matters offer ongoing support to their families and adopted adults. Our Centre for Fostering and Adoption Support offers a unique support and therapy service supporting adoption and permanency and also offer freely available video resources so that knowledge from their skilled and experienced team can be passed on to families and professionals working with children and young people.
