We Are Family is a peer support community by adopters, for adopters. We’re there for parents throughout their adoption journey.

WE ARE FAMILY ARE 10!

As we approach the end of 2023, we celebrate not only another fruitful year of providing support to our prospective and adoptive parents, but also our first decade as We Are Family! 

Back in 2013, a small group of adopters found there was a lack of local and peer support for adoptive parents and set to do something about this. This marked the beginning of We Are Family.

 

 

Since then, We Are Family have grown to become a community benefitting from:

  • 1,350+ We Are Family members
  • 400+ Blog posts
  • 80+ recorded WAF Talks in the Member Hub
  • 65+ volunteers supported
  • 20+ events per month
  • 18+ Podcast episodes
  • 4+ Team Members
  • And 1 big family

As part of our fundraising campaign and anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to be hosting two ‘Donate What You Can’ WAF Talks specials, and for the first time, these talks are available for both WAF members and non-members to join. 

WAF Talks Anniversary Special

These bespoke talks, led by thought-leaders in their field, have been crafted with adoptive families in mind and shaped by our membership’s collective ‘adopter voice’ over recent years. They will also be hugely beneficial to all parents, families and professionals who have young people in their life that may have been affected by trauma and / or have neurodivergent tendencies.

If you can’t make the live talk, you will be able to catch up via the link shared shortly afterwards.

WAF Talks Special:
How Friends and Family Can Support the Parents of Differently Wired Children with guest speaker, Zach Gomm
Join live on Sat 2nd Dec 10-11.30am
Watch on-demand between Sat 2nd Dec – Tues 6th Dec

This live, online talk led by Zach Gomm has been crafted with relevant case studies of families across and beyond the WAF membership.

This talk will be of value to parents, friends, family and professionals who may have a child or young person in their life affected by trauma and / or with neurodivergent or challenging behaviours.

Click to register your space

Read more about Zach Gomm



WAF Talks Special:
A call for trauma-informed education with guest speaker, Adele Bates
Available to watch on-demand between Tues 28th Nov – Tues 5th Dec

This bespoke, recorded talk led by Adele Bates has been curated from questions from our WAF members  exploring the barriers to – and benefits of – trauma-informed education for all.

This talk will benefit adoptive and non-adoptive parents alike, along with professionals working within the education and / or care system.

Click to access the recording 

Read more about Adele Bates

 

Donate What You Can and Help Raise £10,000

In exchange for attending or catching up with one of these WAF Talks specials, we ask that you make a donation at any level that you can, to our Big Give Christmas Challenge Fundraising Campaign raising vital funds to continue the work of We Are Family into our next decade.

Membership to We Are Family is free – please help us keep it that way. 

The Big Give donation platform will be live to accept donations between Tuesday 28th November at midday to Tuesday 6th December midday. During this time, any donation made will be doubled at no extra cost to you.

One donation, double the impact. 

We Are Family is a peer support community by adopters, for adopters. We’re there for parents throughout their adoption journey, offering mutual support, information and inspiration to adopters and those considering adoption through:

We were founded in 2013 by adopters who had experienced first-hand the lack of peer support available. Becoming a family through adoption can bring its own unique set of challenges, as your child joins your family with an identity and a history of their own. Sharing problems, insights, frustrations and laughs with other people who have similar experiences can be invaluable.

What we offer our members:

Connection and relationship

  • Local groups in London and the surrounding area (these include: East London, Hackney & Islington, Havering, Richmond, West London and Southwark). These groups offer a range of:
    • Family meet-ups
    • Support Groups
    • Playgroups
    • Socials
  • Prospective Adopters Support Group
  • Single Adopters Support Group
  • Thematic Groups e.g. Parents of Teens

Information and inspiration

Amplifying voices

Using our voice to call for improved support for adoptive parents/families

“It is my strong belief that the support we give should be on offer to all adopters. There should be a network of families ready to welcome them with open arms as they take decisive steps towards caring for some of the youngest and most vulnerable in our society. Because all new parents need support. We all need to belong. To a family – to a community. Our provision is a necessary one.”

We Are Family Co-Founder

If you’re here because you’re looking for support and
community, we’d love to hear from you.

 

Find out more about joining here