| Admin Biographical History | The first conference of Societies Registered for Adoption was held in 1949 and the Standing Conference of Societies Registered for Adoption was formed in 1950. In 1958 the Adoption Act transformed the legal framework for adoption services giving local authorities the power to act as adoption agencies. In 1965 the British Adoption Project was launched, a four year project to help find new families for non-white children and stemming from this the Adoption Resource Exchange was set up in 1968. In 1969 the Standing Conference of Societies Registered for Adoption was represented on the Houghton Committee to consider legal policy and procedure on adoption.
1970
Standing Conference of Societies Registered for Adoption became ABAA (Association of British Adoption Agencies) in 1970 after 20 years of representing the voluntary societies. The inaugural meeting was held
Reported in 'The New Association' p2 of Child Adoption 60, No.2 1970
See also 'The Role of the ABAA' p4 of Child Adoption 60, No.2 1970
Details of the new role of ABAA are given on p4 of Child Adoption 60, No.2 of 1970
Information on membership and fees of the new organisation are given in the Editorial Comment on p2 of Child Adoption 59, No.1 of 1970
A funeral oration for the Standing Conference given at the last AGM held on 25 November 1969 is printed on p11 of Child Adoption 59, No.1 of 1970
1975
ABAA became ABAFA (Association of British Adoption and Fostering Agencies) in 1975 (decision made at the AGM held in Swanick on 10-13 November 1975)
Reported on p7 of Child Adoption 83, No.1 of 1976
1978
12th June 1978: Adoption Resource Exchange formed by:
Lucy Faithfull
M M Carriline
Louise Hancock
R Hughes
Mary Sugden
Anna Martin
Joan Lawton
Registered Office: 40 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ
19th July 1978: Date of incorporation of the Adoption Resource Exchange
A pamphlet entitled 'The future development of the Adoption Resource Exchange (ARE) and related services' by John Fitzgerald is published. The script of a talk presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Adoption Resource Exchange, 10 November 1978.
1980
ABAFA and ARE Adoption Resource Exchange began to share premises at Southwark Street in March 1980
Merged in November 1980 to form the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering
Be My Parent was launched in April 1980
1983
29th July 1983: New Articles of Association for the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering were adopted following a special resolution passed on this date.
12th November 1998: Special Resolution passed to abrogate previous Articles of Association and replaced by those adopted on 12.11.98.
1994
Moved to Skyline House in 1994
1999
8th December 1999: The inaugural BAAF Board of Trustees Meeting was held (prior to that it was the Finance & General Purposes Committee).
2001
15th November 2001: The company name changed from British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering to British Association for Adoption and Fostering & new certificate of incorporation Issued by Companies House dated 10 December 2001.
2003
6th November 2003: Articles of Association amended as follows:
Section 35 : "Up to six external directors appointed in accordance with article 36" to be amended to state "up to seven external directors"
Section 36.1 : "One person being a serving chief officer of an Independent fostering agency appointed in such manner as the directors may from time to time determine" added to the Articles.
A full account of the history and development of BAAF and its predecessor bodies can be found at BAAF/120 |