Caritas Care joins adoption agencies across the country to encourage families to consider adoption: Big Adoption Day: 21 January 2026
On Wednesday 21 January 2026, Caritas Care will be among the voluntary adoption agencies (VAAs) from across the UK taking part in Big Adoption Day 2026, highlighting the work they do to find loving adoptive families for children waiting to be placed, and the benefits of adopting through a VAA.
Big Adoption Day, led by the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) and the UK’s first children’s charity Coram, will see participating agencies hosting in-person and online events in their local areas, and celebrating the real-life stories of families who have adopted, to encourage anyone interested in exploring adoption to find out more.
To mark Big Adoption Day, Caritas Care is hosting two events: a drop-in session at its Head Office, 218 Tulketh Road, Preston, from 12.00 to 2.00pm, and an online event at 6.30pm. Both events are free to attend, with places available to book at https://www.caritascare.org.uk/events/
3,000 children are currently waiting to be adopted across England, of which almost half have been waiting more than 18 months since entering care (1,500)*. There is an urgent need for more prospective adoptive parents to come forward to provide permanent, loving homes for these children.
VAAs are independent, not-for-profit organisations, offering a personalised service to adopters from all backgrounds. They have a wealth of experience having placed thousands of children with adoptive families, particularly those who often wait the longest in care, including older children, those in sibling groups, and children from the global majority or with disabilities. VAAs also provide all of their adoptive families with lifelong support, which is flexible and responsive to what families need, whenever they need it.
“Big Adoption Day is a really important opportunity for us to open our doors and have honest, welcoming conversations about adoption,” said Kate Knowles, Head of Children’s Services at Caritas Care. “There are many children waiting for loving, permanent families and adoption can look very different for each child and each adopter. As a voluntary agency, we offer a personalised approach and lifelong support, ensuring families feel informed, support and confident at every stage of their journey. We’d encourage anyone who has ever thought about adoption, even just a little, to come along, ask questions and find out more.”
For more information about adopting with Caritas Care and details of its Big Adoption Day event, please visit https://www.caritascare.org.uk/events/