Coram, the UK’s first children’s charity, provides leading independent adoption services with some of the best success rates in the country. Its partnership with Harrow Council was unique at the time it was set up, and ten years on it has produced outstanding results for children and the Council.
The partnership has reduced the time that children spend in care before being adopted, seen Harrow Council become a top-five local authority in the UK for matching children quickly, increased permanent placements for children leaving care, and increased success in finding adoptive parents. Furthermore, it has improved the quality and reduced the cost of care in Harrow.
A celebration event was held at the Harrow Civic Centre to thank all of those who made the successes of the partnership possible – not least the adoptive parents and those who have contributed to Coram over the years. The event included talks from adoptive parents, Coram and Council staff, and past and present mayors of Harrow.
Jeanne Kaniuk, Coram’s Managing Director for Adoption said: “Working with Harrow has brought together the skills of an innovative local authority striving to provide the best life chances for its children with a leading independent adoption agency, rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. The partnership focuses on providing children with loving families where they will be fully accepted and loved. This includes supporting children to return to the care of their birth families where this can be managed within the child’s timescales, as well as providing secure and loving adopters for children referred to Coram.”
Cllr Christine Robson, Harrow’s portfolio holder for children and young people said: “This partnership is as strong and as successful as ever and I hope it goes on for decades more. Working with Coram has put us in the top tier of authorities nationally for adoption outcomes. And it’s days like these that show us what those statistics really mean. The wonderful stories we’ve heard from adoptive parents mean everything to us.”
Useful links
Find out more about the Coram-Harrow partnership
Read more about Harrow Adoption Services