Family Care is a regional Voluntary Adoption Agency and Charity based in Belfast but operating across Northern Ireland. We recruit and assess individuals, couples and families wishing to adopt children within Northern Ireland, who are approved as prospective adopters by our Agency Adoption Panel. We provide permanent new families by adoption for babies and children who are currently residing in foster care and who have been removed from their family of origin by statutory child protection and Court services for reasons of abuse, neglect or failure to protect and who cannot safely return home. We offer an ongoing Post Adoption Support service to all of our families following placement for as long as it is required and provide a number of Post Adoption Support activity days through the year to allow adoptive families spend time together. Our Adult Post Adoption & Post Care Service works with adopted, fostered & raised in care adults to access their early life records and information and provide search and intermediary services to those wishing to reconnect with birth family members. We host a Lottery funded Life Story Project for care experienced young people across the Province and in conjunction with another agency provide an individual Social Work counselling and support service to birth family members from whose family a child has been removed and placed into adoption. Family Care is an alternative provider of adoption services to those of the statutory sector, offering prompt, professional bespoke services to the public across Northern Ireland. 

Mrs Paticia McGrogan Chair

Ms Maggie McSorley Chief Executive

Why Family Care Adoption Services is supporting Boardroom Apprentice

The Agency benefits from the presence of long serving, experienced and committed Board members: Several have long standing links with adoption in general and with the Agency in particular and bring this knowledge to bear in their roles on the Directors Board. The Board of Directors would be an excellent resource for those wishing to participate in a voluntary Board for the first time and our members are keen to share their experience and knowledge. While we are planning some expansion of the Board to guarantee sustainability and to allow for positive succession planning, the Board will remain small in number which will give an apprentice the opportunity to get to know members individually and as a group in an undaunting setting. For Board Members the presence of a ‘new view’ will add to the diversity of the Board and increase the range of perspectives available to the Agency. 

Location of Board and Committee Meetings

Malone Lodge Hotel – Eglantine Avenue Belfast 

Frequency and timing of board/committee meetings

Board Meetings usually every other month (minus either July or August). Minimum 5 per year plus AGM.  Meetings take place during the afternoon 3-5.30pm-usually scheduled for a WEDNESDAY but can change due to member availability 

Date of Board Meetings (September 2023 – August 2024)

20th September, 6th December, 14th February, 17th April, 19th June, 16th August- ALL TBC  

Committee of the Boards and meeting dates (September 2023 – August 2024)

Finance & Strategy Group – 6th December, 17th April, 16th August- ALL TBC