How we can help

If you are an adopted person aged over 18 we can offer the following:

• a comprehensive background history, which will include all the information held on file about your family of origin. This can be shared either at our project in Barkingside, Essex or through your local social services
• the opportunity to talk through, with a qualified social worker, your feelings, hopes, fears and any questions surrounding your adoption. To advise, assist and support those who wish to trace their birth relatives
• the use of project workers as intermediaries between adopted adults and their birth relatives

If you are a birth relative of an adult adoptee we can offer the following:

• the opportunity to meet with a worker from the project and discuss all the memories, hopes, fears and issues arising from their wish to trace or for information
• to provide non-identifiable information from the records
• to endeavour to trace the adopted adult wherever possible
• to act as an intermediary between the parties or to offer support to the birth relative should the adopted adult not choose to respond

If you are the adoptive parent of an adult adoptee we can offer the following:

• the opportunity to explore your issues
• the opportunity to talk through your hopes and fears arising from the actions and requests of other parties such as the adult adoptee or his/her birth family

What we can offer to all parties:

• the exchange of letters, photographs and other information whilst still maintaining the confidentiality of individuals
• a comfortable setting in which reunions can take place
• help for all those involved to decide what, if any, future contact they wish to have
• post-reunion support.