Exhibition Opening - Next of Kin: A Portrait of Adoptive Families by Richard Ansett

For Next of Kin, Richard has worked with some of the families and children Coram supports.

Travelling across the country, he has captured a collection of thoughtful and deeply personal portraits which reflect the experiences and stories at the heart of adoption. These portraits remind us that adoption is ultimately about people and relationships.

Behind every image is a story of belonging, resilience and family. Coram, the UK’s first and longest continuing children’s charity, has been running a programme of activities, launched in January2026, to mark the centenary of legal adoption in England and Wales.

The Adoption of Children Act (1926) introduced for the first time a legal process by which the rights and responsibilities for a child could be transferred from birth parents to adoptive parents. It provided a legal framework for adoption and is a significant historical development in child welfare legislation. 

Our programme of work aimed to enable the sector to recognise, review and reflect on the importance of the legislation and the evolution of adoption and to build greater understanding of adoption today and the part it continues to play in the continuum of care for children who cannot remain safely in their birth families. 

Head to adoptionstory.org.uk to explore the timeline of adoption and stories shared by those who have been touched by adoption over the century.