The AFDiT Champions group met in London for its annual face to face meeting, hosted by Adoption England and led by Dr Tam Cane, Associate Professor in Social Work at the University of Sussex. The day brought colleagues together in a supportive and reflective space to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another, with a clear focus on strengthening how AFDiT is embedded in everyday practice across authorities.

A key theme throughout the day was the impact of AFDiT informed writing, particularly when recording and reflecting on children’s identity in transracial adoption. Champions spoke about feeling more confident and better informed about avoiding vague or unclear language, and about the importance of writing that is specific, thoughtful, and rooted in a child’s lived experience. Discussions highlighted how the way professionals write about children, their histories, and their identities can have long lasting consequences, reinforcing the need for accuracy, care, and reflection in practice.

The session created a powerful opportunity to hear directly from people with lived experience and to understand how records, or the lack of them, can shape a person’s sense of self over a lifetime. Champions also shared practical examples of how the AFDiT framework is being used in different areas of adoption work, giving others new ideas and prompting reflection on how practice might be strengthened within their own agencies. Many reflected on the value of coming together in person, describing it as “so good to meet in person to chat and share experiences” and noting how helpful it was to see how AFDiT is being implemented in different ways across the country.

The meeting was widely described as a thoughtful and energising space that kept racialised and minoritised children in transracial adoption firmly at the centre. As one attendee reflected, it was “really powerful to hear from people with lived experiences and how accurate records, or lack of them, can have life lasting impact”, while another shared that the discussions had given them “food for thought on how we can think about it in my agency”.

Ruby Shah, National Practice Lead in Family Finding and Matching at Adoption England, said:
“It was powerful and inspiring to be in a space where collaboration, lived experience, and genuine commitment came together, shaping how the AFDiT framework is being embedded in everyday practice.”

Overall, the day strengthened shared purpose across the network, helping Champions continue to develop confident, reflective, and AFDiT informed practice that meaningfully supports children and families.