By Sue May, CEO at YAA

The journey to this project started a conversation.

Back in 2022, I was a panel chair for Yorkshire Adoption Agency (YAA), and Ray was a trustee representative. I’m a white female social worker, and Ray is a Black man, and the former president of the Black Police Officers Association. We were both deeply passionate about supporting Black children in adoption — especially those who wait the longest — but we had slightly different ideas about how to make change happen.

Fast forward to October 2023: Ray became Chair of the Board, and I stepped into the role of CEO. Now we could act.

Inspired to Move Forward

The CVAA conference in November 2023 was a turning point. We heard powerful stories from In Between Lines, young Black people with lived experience of adoption, who spoke about striving to claim their identity and a stirring call to action from Lord Simon Wolley who challenged us to be part of the solution. We left inspired and determined.

By April 2024, we had a plan. The traditional approach is to throw money at marketing, but this misses the point. To put it bluntly: adoption needs trust, and the impact of systemic racism has eroded much of that. We need to engage with communities to develop trusting relationships and seek shared solutions. To do this, our work needs to be shaped from within our communities, so we converted a part-time social worker post into a Community In-Reach Worker role and began forming a steering group of Black community leaders in Sheffield. Ray’s connections were invaluable in bringing the right people together.

Launching with Purpose

After many café meet ups with our new steering group, in October 2024, we had our terms of reference, a project plan, and a job description. We launched the initiative at the Doncaster Cast Black History Month celebration. Paulette, one of our steering group members, joined Ray and me on stage. Our passionate plea for support sparked a flood of conversations throughout the day.

Later that month, I had a chance meeting with Skye at an adopter family event. Skye, an adoptive mother with Jamaican heritage, was also a senior manager leading a team of community-based researchers. I was eager to learn from her — and luck was on our side. Skye was already considering stepping down from her role for better work-life balance. She applied for the job — and got it!

Building Trust, One Conversation at a Time

Skye started in March 2025 and hit the ground running. She began developing partnerships and laying the groundwork for a co-developed, community-based research and support project. We know our Black communities have open arms and open hearts, but adoption is complex. Trust isn’t always easy, especially for minoritised communities. This work takes time — and we’re committed for the long haul. The post is core funded, and we’re in it for the duration.

It is now October 2025 and we’re out and about, meeting as many people as possible. We’re spreading the word about adoption — but most importantly, we’re listening. Because only by listening can we change the environment and help more Black children grow up in loving families that reflect their heritage.

A Personal Reflection

As a white Yorkshire woman — the daughter of two working parents and the first in my family to go to university — I never felt particularly privileged. But I fit in. I can walk down the street unnoticed. I’ve never had to adapt my presentation. I can just be me.

I’ve only glimpsed what it’s like to be “other” — like the time I accidentally walked into a pub in Birmingham filled entirely with Black men, or when I did Tai Chi with a wonderfully welcoming group of Bangladeshi women. But still, I’m in the gang with the power.

I often feel out of my depth in this work. I make mistakes. But honesty and self-reflection is important. I believe we must all be the best allies we can be — and stand proudly in support of people like Ray and Skye, who can, if we have their backs, change the world one step at a time.

Learn more about our Community In-Reach Project.