What we do
Be My Parent helps children find families who can provide adoption or permanent fostering.
The Be My Parent service
Adoption and fostering statistics
Get an information pack
Behind the scenes at Be My Parent...
The Be My Parent service
The Be My Parent service is for families interested in adoption and fostering - whether approved, in the process of being assessed, or making initial enquiries about the process - as well as social workers and agencies who place children for adoption and permanent fostering. It includes a family-finding newspaper and website, as well as general information and advice.
Monthly newspaper
The Be My Parent newspaper aims to match waiting children with permanent families. Every month, the newspaper is sent to adoption and fostering agencies, as well as prospective adopters and permanent foster families who subscribe to it. The newspaper features colour photographs, where possible, and profile details of over 200 children of all ages and backgrounds across the UK. The children are usually referred by the local authority caring for them because they have been unable to find a family for them locally, or it may not be suitable to place them in their area.
The Children’s Profiles are arranged according to country and regional areas across the UK. There is a News & Features supplement every other month, with information and articles about adoption and fostering.
Online family-finding service
Our website has a secure login area, which means that agencies can make referrals and enquiries online, and prospective families can browse children’s profiles and make enquiries at any time of the day. Register and subscribe now.
Agencies can refer children to the website as soon as they need a new permanent family and, unlike the newspaper, the children do not have to wait to be featured in the next monthly edition, so they can go 'live' sooner. As there are also not the same issues with space, children’s profiles on the website can be longer and more detailed, with extra photographs and a video clip.
Your guide to using Be My Parent.
Information and advice
Be My Parent provides general information and advice about adoption and fostering to adoption and fostering agencies and other professionals, prospective families and the general public. Experienced social workers in the team are available to provide information and advice. We can refer enquirers needing ongoing support to Child Placement Consultants at BAAF’s country and regional offices, or to other agencies.
You can contact your country or regional BAAF office by telephone, email or post. If your query relates specifically to Be My Parent, then please contact us first.
Adoption and fostering statistics
In the year 2007–08, Be My Parent helped 133 children find new adoptive or permanent foster families. One hundred and twenty-one children were placed with 78 adoptive families and 12 children were placed with 8 permanent foster families.
More information on placement statistics.
Get an information pack
The Be My Parent information pack contains several leaflets that provide basic information on adoption and fostering, such as Could you Adopt or Foster a Child? and The 10 Steps of Adoption, and a list of UK adoption and fostering agencies and other useful organisations.
Download the information pack on adoption and fostering.
If you would like us to send you an information pack and an introductory copy of the Be My Parent newspaper in the post, at a cost of £7.50, you will first need to register with us. Once registered and logged in, you can purchase a pack. Alternatively, please contact us.
Last updated: 28 April 10
