Support for birth families and adult adoptees

Whether you're looking for support as the family of an adopted person, as an adopted person yourself, or are looking for support in your process to adopt or exploring your family history, our services can provide the help you need.

LINK Adoption Support Service

For more than twenty years Barnardo’s LINK has been providing therapeutic services to anyone affected by adoption.

This includes therapeutic services for prospective adopters, adoptive families, adopted children and young people, adult adoptees, birth family members and, in recent years, families where children are placed under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO).

We have accredited independent therapists based across London, East Anglia, South East and South West England, who can meet with adoptive families face-to-face in their own homes to work together on the principles and practice of therapeutic parenting.

Connecting Adoptive Families Independent Service (CAFIS)

CAFIS is a unique service for people living in Kent who are affected by adoption. They provide support around:

• Advice and support for birth families

• Access to birth records for adult adoptees

• Intermediary services for adult adoptees and birth families

Making Connections

If you were adopted through Barnardo’s as a child, our Making Connections team can give you information about your adoption, and support you through the process.

They can assist with:

• accessing your records

• enquiring as a relative of an adopted person

• obtaining information about your deceased relative

• child migration