CoramBAAF Adoption and Fostering Academy

CoramBAAF Adoption and Fostering Academy

Overview

CoramBAAF Adoption and Fostering Academy is the UK's leading membership organisation for professionals and organisations involved in adoption, fostering and kinship care. Established in 2015 following the transfer of functions from BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering), it represents social workers, family social workers, managers, local authorities, adoption agencies, fostering services and other practitioners across the adoption and fostering sector. With corporate members representing 94% of local authorities, the organisation has significant reach and influence within child placement and family support services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Who Should Join?

CoramBAAF serves a broad professional community within the adoption, fostering and kinship care sector:

• Individual professionals: Social workers, family social workers, adoption practitioners, fostering workers, managers, training and development professionals, and other practitioners working in adoption and fostering services
• Organisational members: Local authorities, adoption agencies, independent fostering services, local authority fostering teams, and other organisations providing adoption and fostering support
• Students: Those training or studying to enter the profession
• Other specialists: Trainers, assessors, supervisors and others working in roles supporting adoption and fostering practice

The organisation welcomes professionals regardless of their level of experience or seniority, from trainees and early-career practitioners to managers and senior leaders. Organisational membership is open to public and independent sector bodies involved in adoption, fostering or kinship care services.

Why Join?

Membership provides direct access to professional expertise, peer community and resources within a specialist sector where practice knowledge and professional support are essential to service quality and practitioner wellbeing. For individual practitioners, joining connects you to an established professional community, provides access to authoritative guidance and training, and supports your professional development and career progression. For organisations, membership demonstrates commitment to quality practice, connects teams to sector-leading expertise and resources, and provides access to professional development and learning communities. Given that corporate membership represents 94% of local authorities, joining places practitioners and organisations within a dominant professional network in the field.

Member Benefits & Opportunities

Membership provides a range of professional development, networking and support services:

• Professional development and training: Access to courses, seminars, workshops and learning programmes covering adoption practice, fostering practice, kinship care, supervision, management and other specialist topics
• Accreditation and qualifications: Membership recognised as a marker of professional standing and commitment to quality practice within the sector
• Events and conferences: Participation in annual conferences, training events, specialist seminars and networking forums bringing together practitioners, managers and organisations across the sector
• Networking and peer communities: Connection to a substantial professional community, enabling peer learning, collaborative practice development and mutual support
• Specialist knowledge and publications: Access to practice guidance, research, case studies, policy analysis and other publications supporting professional practice and service development
• Technical and professional guidance: Access to expert advice and support on practice issues, policy development, service improvement and implementation of standards
• Mentoring and supervision support: Resources and connections supporting practitioner wellbeing, professional supervision and career development
• Advocacy and policy engagement: Opportunity to contribute to policy development and engage with sector-wide advocacy on issues affecting adoption, fostering and kinship care practice

Industry Role & Professional Standing

CoramBAAF holds a significant leadership position within the UK adoption and fostering sector. The organisation establishes professional standards and codes of conduct, conducts and commissions research, develops and shares best practice guidance, and actively engages in policy advocacy on behalf of the sector. Through its broad membership base—including 94% of local authorities—it provides a collective voice for adoption and fostering professionals and organisations, influencing sector development and government policy.

Membership signals professional commitment and connection to established sector standards and communities. The Academy's role in accreditation, research and standard-setting means that members benefit from association with a respected professional body that shapes practice and policy within adoption and fostering across the UK.

For further information, visit the CoramBAAF website at https://corambaaf.org.uk or contact the organisation directly at their London base: Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ, UK.