Our story

PACT – Parents And Children Together – is an adoption and trauma support charity helping hundreds of families every year through outstanding adoption services, specialist therapeutic support and inspirational community projects across London and the South-East of England.  

Established in 1911 by the Bishop of Oxford, PACT is now one of the UK’s leading charities in its field and is dedicated to the placement of children with secure and loving families and continued support through therapeutic services. Our adoption support services include our online Children And Trauma Community Hub, our Strengthening Families team of therapeutically trained social workers, our Adopter Champion team of ‘experts by experience’, our education support service and our FACTS service which provides therapeutic support to help children to overcome difficulties in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood resulting from early trauma and neglect.  

PACT also runs community projects supporting vulnerable children and adults facing a range of issues including domestic abuse, homelessness and debt. Our current community projects include the Alana House women’s community programme and Bounce Back 4 Kids domestic abuse recovery programme. Our vision is to help even more families and to initiate and provide quality services where there is currently unmet need. 

The history of PACT: A century of building and strengthening families

PACT was founded more than 100 years ago when the then Bishop of Oxford, Bishop Francis Paget, held a passion to address the vulnerabilities of needy families living in the Oxford Diocesan area in 1910. He shared his concerns with other like-minded people to establish an organisation that would provide guidance and protection for children of tender years.  

The founding work

A rescue worker, Miss Sharpe, was immediately appointed by the Diocesan Council and she began visiting unmarried mothers to help them build a better life for their children. Her first report recorded visits to 52 parishes, many by bicycle, within the first six months. She helped 97 women and girls, placing some in maternity homes, houses of mercy and refuges. The Council’s remit identified the importance of education and community support to help families to escape poverty and uphold Christian family values. Parents, teachers and youth leaders were all involved to ensure social wellbeing. In those early years the organisation worked in partnership with multiple external agencies, as it still does today. 

PACT today

The focus of the charity—to support families and provide services not available locally— remains constant. The reputation and experience of the organisation has grown over the years and PACT is now an independent adoption and trauma support charity with strong partnerships with many different sectors, faith organisations, statutory bodies, corporate organisations and charities, promoting an inclusive and supportive culture. PACT retains its strong affiliation with the Diocese of Oxford and is proud that The Rt. Rev the Lord The Bishop of Oxford is our patron. PACT continues to respond to unmet need by listening to its service users, supporters and stakeholders and developing innovative services that deliver high quality.

Timeline

1911

Bishop Paget established the Diocesan Council for Prevention and Rescue Work

1953

Organisation approved as an adoption society and starts placing babies directly with adoptive families

1960

The Oxford Moral Welfare Association (the name of the Council at that time) opens a home to support unmarried mothers, thus influencing PACT’s community projects today

1980s

Now called the Oxford Diocesan Council for Social Work, the organisation was restructured to find adoptive families for particularly vulnerable children

1990s

Became known as Parents And Children Together and registers to approve adopters for children from overseas as well as in the UK

1997-2010

Training courses provided through PACT for care sector staff seeking National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)

2001

Fostering service started 

2005

PACT Parent House in Bracknell opens

2010

PACT merges with Childlink (London) and Alana House and Bounce Back 4 Kids open in Reading

2011

Centenary Year celebrating 100 years of supporting families

2013

PACT’s family therapy room opens in Reading

2014

PACT opens an office for its adoption services in Brighton

2017

Launch of The Adopter Hub, PACT’s online support platform for the adoption community

2019

Alana House Community Café opens

2020

Service at Reading Minster to mark International Women’s Day and 10 years of Alana House

2021

Alana House recipe book Love, Trust, Hope published and Alana House coffee created with Anonymous Coffee and Girls Gotta Run

2022

The Adopter Hub changes its name to the Children And Trauma Community Hub (CATCH) to reflect the wide range of people it now supports