National Adoption Week 2026
This year's National Adoption Week takes place from 19th to 25th October.
With 2026 marking the Centenary of the The Adoption of Children Act in England and Wales, and the Government apology earlier this year for historic forced adoptions, this feels an important opportunity to reflect on the changes in the role of adoption to provide permanence and stability for children.
During National Adoption Week, we are working with PAC UK and Adoption UK to host a number of events that:
- Raise awareness of modern adoption practices and the changes we continue to make in the sector to improve outcomes for adopted people, adoptive parents and birth families.
- Highlight the importance of the voices of people with lived experience to influence change.
- Increase understanding of the needs of children today.
PAC-UK National Adoption Week events
PAC-UK are delivering a series of free online events on topics such as the future of adoption, therapeutic needs, birth parent experiences and teenage and young adult adoptees.
Click here to find out more and book your place
Adoption UK National Adoption Week events
Adoption UK will be hosting series of free events covering topics such as the impact of early experiences on brain development, early permanence, contact after adoption and supporting adoptive families.
Click here to read more and book your place
Every Day is Everything
National Adoption Week is also an important time to encourage more people to consider adopting a child or children. Our current You Can Adopt campaign, 'Every Day is Everything' aims to build confidence in prospective adopters and encourage more people to come forward, to ensure more children can experience the stability of a permanent family. It shows that adoption isn’t about being perfect - it’s about being there and showing up for a child every day.
As part of the campaign, Post Adoption Support Worker and former Love Island winner Sanam Fagan said:
“One of the biggest things I've learnt from working with adoptive families is that it really is the everyday moments that matter most. Adoption isn't about getting everything right, it's simply about being there through the ups and downs, showing up for the school run, the bedtime chat, and all the little moments in between. Every child deserves that stability and sense of belonging, and for a child who's waited a long time for a permanent family, those ordinary days can mean everything."
The campaign, which launched on September 15th, will continue to run throughout National Adoption Week. You can find out more about the campaign here, or by following #YouCanAdopt on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.