What is Coram and what does the Coram website cover?

Updated

Coram is a group of children's charities in the UK, established as the Foundling Hospital in 1739, that works to create better chances for children and families "from infancy to independence." Its website, coram.org.uk, is the main public entry point for learning about its work, reading its research and news, exploring its adoption services, and finding ways to support it. It is useful if you want to understand what the organisation does, follow its campaigns and reports, or look into adoption and fostering information it publishes.

What Coram is

Coram describes itself as "a group of children's charities" with a long history: it began as the Foundling Hospital in 1739 and today states that it "changes lives, laws and systems to support children from infancy to independence." That framing points to three kinds of activity:

  • Direct services for children and families, including adoption support.
  • Research and policy work intended to influence law and systems.
  • Public campaigns and events that raise awareness of children's issues.

The organisation also operates as a group, with other organisations joining it — the site's news notes, for example, that Potential Plus UK transferred into Coram Group.

What the website covers

The homepage and linked pages organise Coram's public-facing work into a few clear areas.

Adoption

Adoption is a prominent theme on the site. During National Adoption Week, Coram ran a programme of activity including a portrait series with photographer Richard Ansett (who is adopted himself), launched on 19 October to mark the week and the centenary of the 1926 Adoption Act. The site links to an "Explore Coram Adoption" section for those interested in adoption services.

Research and reports

The site publishes analysis and reports on children's services. Two examples visible on the homepage:

  • An Adoption Propensity Report, whose summary states that the number of families available to adopt is substantially below the number needed for children still waiting for an adoptive family — a contrast, it notes, with public attitudes and willingness to consider adopting.
  • Coram Institute for Children research on foster care, including analysis that the government's target of 10,000 new foster care places over the current Parliament appears "realistic and attainable" but must be paired with a focus on retaining existing foster carers.

Toolkits and resources

Coram offers practical resources such as an Adoption Toolkit, which the site says reflects the lived experiences of its ambassadors and provides space for adoptees to use it for reflection, guidance and support. It is available to download from the site.

News and campaigns

The news section covers Coram's wider work, including an anti-bullying documentary premiere in support of Coram Kidscape, and the "Speaking for Ourselves" project — a three-year programme funded by a £954,650 grant from The National Heritage Lottery Fund to preserve and share stories of the UK's care-experienced movement from the 1970s to the present.

Supporting Coram

The site provides ways to get involved, including a Donate option and a Learn about our work path for visitors who want to understand the organisation before deciding whether to support it.

How to use the site

  1. Start with the homepage to see current campaigns and the latest news — this is where time-sensitive items like National Adoption Week activity appear.
  2. Follow "Learn about our work" if you want the broader picture of Coram's services, research and advocacy.
  3. Use the adoption pages if your interest is adoption specifically; the Adoption Propensity Report and Adoption Toolkit are the most concrete resources linked from the homepage.
  4. Check the news section for research findings and project announcements, which is where Coram publishes its policy-relevant analysis.
  5. Use the Donate link if you have reviewed the work and want to contribute.

A practical note: the site includes a checkout/cart path, so any transaction (such as a donation) goes through an online checkout. The available material does not state prices or whether an account is required, so check the checkout page itself before completing anything.

Who the site is for

  • People considering adoption or fostering, who want Coram's adoption information and toolkits.
  • Researchers, journalists and policymakers looking for Coram's reports and analysis on children's services.
  • Supporters and donors who want to understand the charity's work before giving.
  • Anyone interested in children's charity history, given Coram's origins in the 1739 Foundling Hospital.

If your question is "what does Coram do?", the site's own summary is the shortest answer: it works to create better chances for children and families, from infancy to independence, through services, research and campaigning.