Post adoption support
We understand that adoptive parenting brings with it particular and sometimes challenging issues for both adopters and their children, and for this reason, all involved need to feel ongoing support is always available.
For more information please download the attached leaflet:
Supporting people affected by adoption
Support Services
The Suffolk Adoption Agency has a small team of specialist social work practitioners dedicated to post adoption support. The team cover 4 main areas of work:
- Working with adopted children and their families
- Providing services for adopted adults
- Providing services for birth relatives of adoptees
- Facilitating direct and indirect contact.
Support Groups
Adopters are also encouraged to join a local support group to help build for themselves a local network of support with other adoptive parents. There are a number of these groups both in Suffolk and other areas of the county. For more information about your local support group contact the adoption support team.
Duty Times
Monday: 9.30am - 12.30pm
Thursday: 2.00pm - 4.30pm
Contact Details
Telephone: 01473 265700
Email: adoption.ipswich@suffolk.gov.uk
Contact with birth families and direct relatives
Children have origins
A child's life does not begin the day they are adopted. Keeping in touch with birth relatives can help young people understand about their origins. It can also sometimes make it easier to come to terms with their personal history. It can also provide them with a sense of continuity in their lives and help the child to attach fully to their adoptive family.
Research has also shown that where contact works well, the child grows up having a more realistic view of their birth relatives; it encourages greater openness about adoption and the adoptive placement is more likely to be successful.
Contact with birth family members
Now days adoption is far more 'open' than in the past, and it is generally accepted that links with significant family members can be a positive experience for all involved. This is often arranged through the exchange of letters.
In some cases it may be helpful for a child to have face-to-face contact with a birth family member who supports the adoption, and we will support these arrangements.
Letterbox
The Letterbox scheme is a simple means for people to stay in touch. The contact is between the adoptive families and different people that had a role in their adopted child’s life, including the birth family, the foster carers who used to foster their children, and siblings.
The Letterbox agreement is a voluntary arrangement. For more information please download the Letterbox guide attached.
