I'm Adopted

There are various reasons why an authority would feel that it is in the child’s best interest to be adopted.

Each situation is unique and it is always best talk to your adoptive parents if you can.

However, if this is not possible please contact us for further advice.

If you do not have any contact with your birth siblings then you may wish to talk to your adoptive parents in the first instance.

They could contact us to get further advice.

Your birth parents may have put a record on your adoption file.

In these cases you can contact the agency that dealt with your adoption and ask them to check your file (if you are over 18).

For more information, see Searching for Relatives

It is normal to feel confused and angry about your early life experiences.

It is important to remember you are not alone and you should talk to your adoptive parents if you can to help you through these feelings.

There are also support groups that can help you.

For more information, see Useful Links

Although it is very tempting to contact a birth relative directly, we would advise that you talk to an adoption worker first.

Getting in contact “out of the blue” may bring up many issues, both for yourself and your birth family.

It is better to think carefully about this important step in order to get the best outcome.

For more information, see Searching for Relatives

It may not be easy talking to your adoptive parents about your wishes and feelings to learn more about your past. You can ask your adoptive parents if they can call us on your behalf and then we will be able to offer you the following:

Social Networking sites may seem a very tempting way to contact your birth family, especially when at times you may feel “at odds” with your adoptive family, for whatever reason.

We would strongly urge you not to take this step.

If you don’t feel able to talk to your adoptive parents, please contact us for help and advice.