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Starting the Journey with Adoption UK
When children are placed for adoption it
is not the end of their journey; their needs
do not disappear. Because of this, adoptive
parents need ongoing support throughout their
children’s lives.
Adoption UK and its services are unique because
they are developed and delivered by adoptive
families to adoptive families. We draw on over
forty years of understanding and knowledge. We
provide information, training and guidance at all
stages of the adoption process and have a wealth
of relevant experience from generations of
adoptive families. We believe that peer support
and the exchange of knowledge and experiences
between adoptive parents are a crucial part of
adoption support.
All adopted children will have experienced
some form of loss through being separated
from their birth families. Unfortunately many
will also have suffered neglect or abuse in
those families. For many children, this trauma
can sadly lead to emotional, behavioural,
educational or developmental difficulties, which
may also affect their ability to form secure
attachments with their new parents.
There are often no easy solutions to the issues
that adopters face, but feeling heard, not judged
and having feelings and experiences validated
can be a tremendous support and, we believe, is
an essential part of helping to make adoptions
work.
From a simple question to more in-depth needs,
wherever you are on your adoption journey
Adoption UK’s Family Support Service is
accessible to everyone. Our Helpline Advisers
are here to help you whether you have a simple
enquiry or just want someone to talk to and
support from one of our Family Support Buddies
can make all the difference during the early
stages of placement. Trained by Adoption
UK for a role which builds on their existing
knowledge base, our Family Support Buddies
have a broad range of personal adoption
experiences and are linked as closely as possible
to a family depending on their needs.
Alongside our support services, Adoption UK
also has a family-finding service, ‘children who
wait’. ‘children who wait’ is a monthly magazine
featuring profiles of children who are waiting for
a new family. We also have an online version of
the magazine.
‘children who wait’ magazine and online service
are available to members of Adoption UK, who
as prospective adopters subscribe to the service.
Many local authorities in the UK use ‘children
who wait’ to facilitate their family-finding
process. The magazine and online service put
prospective adoptive parents in contact with a
child’s social worker from the outset.
For more information contact 0844 848 7900
Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm or visit
www.adoptionuk.org
Adoption UK offers a network of support:
• Adoption UK helpline offering dedicated support
• Support groups and family fun days
• Lending library and drop-in resource centre
• Family Support Service – tailored to the family’s
individual needs
• ‘Adoption Today’, our bi-monthly flagship magazine
• ‘Children Who Wait’, our monthly family-finding magazine
and online service
• Award-winning training and events
Whether you are an adoptive parent, a prospective adopter,
a foster carer or a practitioner who works with children and
young people give us a call today.
Call 01295 752240
Visit www.adoptionuk.org
Helpline 0844 848 7900
Supporting
adoptive families
every step
of the way
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