What Adoptionplus does

Adoptionplus is a therapeutic Voluntary Adoption Agency and registered charity (Charity No. 1204419) based in Moulsoe, Newport Pagnell, serving adoptive families, special guardians, foster carers, birth parents, residential care providers, and professionals across London, Buckinghamshire and the East of England. The agency has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnardo's since August 2018 and has been rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted on three consecutive inspections, most recently in May 2019.

The organisation operates three revenue-generating lines: (i) multidisciplinary therapy services delivered by therapeutic social workers, integrative child and adolescent psychotherapists, paediatric occupational therapists and mindfulness therapists, covering neurodevelopmental assessments, combined autism and attachment disorder assessments, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), Theraplay, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Therapeutic Life Story Work; (ii) specialist training courses for professionals, including DDP Level One (£920), Theraplay Level One (£950-£990), an 8-day Therapeutic Social Work Programme (£1,900), and ongoing supervision groups (£55-£80 per session); and (iii) a publications catalogue of seven or more titles plus audio resources, priced £12.99-£59.95 per unit. Income is supplemented by charitable donations via the JustGiving platform.

The business is structurally dependent on local-authority commissioning: services are accessed via referrals from London boroughs, Adopt East Regional Adoption Agency member councils (Southend, Thurrock, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Bedford and Luton) and Essex County Council. The company employs 11-50 people and operates from a single office five minutes from Junction 14 of the M1. The source data notes that Adoptionplus has closed its doors to new adoption enquiries because of changes in the adoption sector, although existing therapy, training and publication services continue.

Name

Adoptionplus

Legal name

Adoptionplus

Website

https://adoptionplus.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adoptionplus is a UK therapeutic adoption agency and registered charity (Barnardo's subsidiary) that delivers multidisciplinary therapy, specialist training, and publications to adoptive families, special guardians, foster carers, and professionals via local-authority referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Therapeutic Adoption Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ), Parenting Education for Special Needs & Developmental Differences (EDACALAK)

Keywords

• Therapeutic adoption services
• Adoption support therapy
• Professional training courses
• Attachment-focused therapy
• Adoption publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport Pagnell

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: As a registered charity (No. 1204419), Adoptionplus accepts donations through JustGiving platform to support their services.
2. Therapy Services: Multidisciplinary therapy services including assessments and therapeutic interventions for families, charged to referring local authorities.
3. Training Courses: Specialist therapeutic training courses for professionals working with care-experienced children. Course prices range from £55 to £1,900 per participant.
4. Publications and Books: Sale of therapeutic books and resources for adoption and fostering professionals and families, including the Billy Says series and parenting guides.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Adoptionplus is a therapeutic Voluntary Adoption Agency providing specialist clinical assessments and therapeutic interventions for adopted children, special guardians, foster carers, and birth parents, alongside professional training programmes in approaches such as DDP, Theraplay, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. The agency also publishes therapeutic books and resources for families and sector professionals. Operating as a registered charity and wholly owned subsidiary of Barnardo's, Adoptionplus delivers services primarily through local authority referrals across London and South East England.

Product overview

Adoptionplus is a therapeutic adoption agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of services organized around three core pillars: therapy services, training, and publications. The therapy arm provides multidisciplinary therapeutic support including neurodevelopmental assessments, autism and attachment disorder assessments, and therapeutic approaches such as DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy), Theraplay, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. The training division delivers specialist therapeutic courses for professionals working with care-experienced children, including DDP certification programs, Theraplay training, and workshops on trauma-informed practices. The publications division produces books and audio resources covering adoption preparation, parenting adopted teens, birth parent support, and the Billy Says children's book series. The organization operates as a registered charity and subsidiary of Barnardo's, serving adoptive families, special guardians, foster carers, birth parents, and professionals across Buckinghamshire and North London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Therapy Services Multidisciplinary therapy service consisting of therapeutic social workers, integrative child and adolescent psychotherapists, paediatric occupational therapists and mindfulness therapists providing specialist clinical assessments and therapeutic interventions for adopted children and their families referred by local authorities.
• Training Courses Specialist therapeutic training programs from a relational and developmental trauma perspective for professionals working with care-experienced children, young people and adults. Includes DDP training, Theraplay training, therapeutic social work programs, and workshops on trauma-related topics. Course prices range from £55 for supervision sessions to £1,900 for comprehensive 8-day programs.
• Assessing Adoptive Parents, Foster Carers and Kinship Carers (Book) Book edited by Joanne Alper and Dr David Howe providing guidance on thorough, analytical and effective assessments for prospective adoptive and foster parents. Priced at £20.69 per copy.
• Supporting Birth Parents Whose Children Have Been Adopted (Book) Book providing understanding of birth parents and their support needs to inform individual practice and encourage development of humane and effective support services. Priced at £22.99 per copy.
• The Billy Says Series Series of six picture books for children aged 3-8 exploring issues relating to fostering and adoption through the experiences of a five-year-old girl called Kirsty and her magic doll Billy. Priced at £39 per set of six books.
• All About Mummies and Daddies (Book) Book by Joanne Alper helping prepare children for placement for adoption, permanent fostering or special guardianship, exploring different types of forever families. Priced at £59.95 per pack of five.
• DDP Level One Training Four-day training introducing Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and the broader framework of Dyadic Developmental Practice, presented through discussion and experiential exercises. Priced at £920 per participant.
• Theraplay Level One Training Four-day workshop for qualified professionals on child/family counselling and attachment therapy using the Theraplay model for enhancing adult-child relationships. Priced at £990 (October 2026 cohort) or £950 (November 2025 cohort).
• Therapeutic Social Work Programme 8-day modular programme for Social Workers interested in working therapeutically with families supporting children with relational trauma and attachment difficulties. Priced at £1,900.
• DDP Refresher and Supervision Group Ongoing supervision and refresher sessions for professionals who have undertaken DDP training and are incorporating DDP principles into their practice. Priced at £80 per session, with £55 option for group supervision.
• Billy Says Audio Book Free audio book version of the Billy Says story helping children who think they are bad understand that their birth families' problems were not their fault.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three consecutive 'Outstanding' OFSTED ratings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Barnardo's and Essex County CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Strategic partnership announced in January 2022 involving Barnardo's, Adoptionplus, and Essex County Council for adoption support services.
• Adopt East Regional Adoption AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Adoptionplus joined the Adopt East Regional Adoption Agency alongside local authorities in Southend, Thurrock, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Bedford and Luton. Also includes Adoption UK. The partnership works across multiple local authorities to benefit children and families.
• PAC(UK)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2020Partnership with PAC(UK) to provide bespoke therapeutic support services commissioned by 23 councils across London during COVID-19 pandemic. This was described as 'the biggest adoption support partnership' for London families.
• Hertfordshire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2017Adoptionplus and Hertfordshire awarded DfE grant to establish an Adoption Support Centre of Excellence, one of only three pioneering centres around the UK.
• Barnardo'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdoptionplus is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Barnardo's, the UK's largest children's charity. This relationship provides access to extensive resources, national expertise, and organizational infrastructure. Barnardo's Data Protection Officer oversees data protection compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• After Adoption: UK adoption support charity offering therapeutic services, birth-relative counselling, and intermediary services for adopted people and their families. Overlaps directly with Adoptionplus on adoption support, therapy, and local-authority commissioning.
• PAC-UK (Post Adoption Centre): UK charity delivering specialist therapeutic support, counselling, and training for adopted adults, birth relatives, and adoptive families. PAC(UK) is a formal partner of Adoptionplus in the London commissioning consortium, making its service portfolio and target segments nearly identical.
• TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust): UK voluntary adoption agency providing adoption and fostering services, therapeutic support, and training for carers and professionals. TACT operates a multi-region adoption and fostering model with therapeutic offerings directly comparable to Adoptionplus's portfolio.
• Family Futures: UK therapeutic adoption agency providing attachment-focused therapy, assessments (including Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and neurodevelopmental work), and post-adoption support to families and professionals — directly comparable clinical model and customer base to Adoptionplus.
• Adoption UK: National UK charity supporting adoptive families through peer support, training, and advocacy. Co-partner with Adoptionplus in the Adopt East Regional Adoption Agency; serves the same primary customer segment (adoptive families, special guardians, foster carers).

Broad incumbents

• Barnardo's: Parent organisation and the UK's largest children's charity, operating broad fostering, adoption, and children's services portfolios. As the corporate parent it sets strategic direction for Adoptionplus, but also runs competing adoption support services nationally.
• Coram: Historic UK children's charity operating CoramBAAF (adoption, fostering, and kinship services), therapeutic support, and professional training — overlapping directly with Adoptionplus's training and family-support offerings but at a far larger scale.

Emerging players

• Beacon House Therapeutic Services: UK specialist therapeutic provider offering trauma-informed services, neurodevelopmental assessments, and attachment-based therapy for children and families — overlapping with Adoptionplus's therapy and assessment modules but operating at smaller scale.
• The Mulberry Bush Organisation: UK charity providing therapeutic residential care, specialist training, and therapeutic interventions for children with severe attachment and trauma difficulties — comparable trauma-focused therapeutic approach and professional training programmes to Adoptionplus.

Regional players

• Adoption Scotland (Scottish Adoption): National voluntary adoption agency for Scotland providing adoption support, therapeutic services, and training. Operates a similar clinical and training model to Adoptionplus but exclusively within Scotland, making it a geographic rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/adoptionplus
• Facebookfacebook.com/Adoptionplus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adoptionplus

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adoptionplus