I need to pick your brains!

[Elswick]

I'm trying to identify organisations/institutions involved with adoption in the 1940's in Shropshire, England.  Nowadays we'd call them adoption agencies, back then they went by many names.  They were often religious based institutions in some way or other but occassionaly local government/councils had their own facility to deal with the placement of children.

There must be a database somewhere that lists such institutions for that era, anyone got any idea of where to look as I'm struggling here!

Lastly, let me make this blatantly clear,

I AM NOT LOOKING FOR ADOPTION RECORDS IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER!

[KGarrad]

If you are looking for adoption records, see: https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records.

Please note: Everyone adopted before 12 November 1975 will need to attend a counselling session with an approved adoption advisor first.

[BillyF]

The National Archives have this.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/children-care/#6-childrens-homes-from-1930

[hanes teulu]

Adverts like this appeared in the papers in '40s and appear to avoid the authorities as Private transactions. I've seen instances of court appearances where the child was adopted "free" but later offered for adoption by the adopter on condition of a fee being paid.
Not clear where they fit in the scheme of things.

Shrewsbury Chronicle, 23 May 1941

[Elswick]

Just to make it clear, I am not looking for adoption records!  I'm looking for organisations and institutions that were involved in adoption in the 40's, in Shrewsbury, notably around the Telford area.  National Archives aren't much use, I've spent ages chatting with them lately.

BillyF:  Thanks for your input, I've found that National Archives page myself and have spent a  long time chatting with them on the matter.  It seems adoption agencies don't fall under childcare/care homes/state care or anything else that your link relates to.  Unfortunately the person I was chatting with at National Archives although understanding what I'm trying to find, couldn't help as far as where I should look. 

hanes teulu:. Many thanks for the info, I'm well aware of newspaper articles like you posted, the question is who placed that piece in the newspaper?  From the 1925 Adoption Act there's supposedly no such thing as an illegal adoption, everything would have followed the law, and would have been recorded.  Therefore, the newspaper article you posted is likely to have been placed by an adoption agency of some kind, the very thing I'm trying to identify.

[KGarrad]

Try www.childrenshomes.org.uk

[Elswick]

KGarrad: Tried it I'm afraid, very informative but not helpful as it deals with many different types of homes but barely mentions adoption at all, or the institutions involved in adoption.

[KGarrad]

Some other alternatives:

"Waifs and Strays", later Church of England Children's Society,and now The Children's Society.
Dr Barnardo's.
The Catholic Church.
Salvation Army.
Any of the "Mother and Baby" Homes.

[Elswick]

Barnados. e-mailed them a couple of hours ago.  Salvation Army, their main archives are very close to me and I've had dealings with them in the past.  They ran numerous mother and baby homes for sure, I was born in one myself, but they weren't involved in adoption, that was always outside concerns.  The same applies to most mother and baby homes, they were a place for the mothers to have their child, they weren't adoption agencies though they usually had close working relationships with such organisations.Waifs and Strays, no idea, I'll look into that, and finally, the Catholic Church........

Wish me luck on that one!!