Birth Families Map - support and information services available to birth families in England affected by adoption

- Family Rights Group's website hosts the Adoption England-funded Birth Families Map - a map and directory of services in England that offer support and information for birth families affected by adoption. It the only resource of its kind that lets birth families search to see what adoption support is available to them in their area before, during, or after adoption proceedings have taken place, and find out how they can access that support.

- If your organisation offers an adoption support and/or information service to birth families affected by adoption anywhere in England, including general or legal advice, support group, and therapeutic services, and are not already included in the map, please complete these questions about your service in order to be included in the map and service directory.

- The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete, and the service details gathered will be uploaded to the service directory which is searchable for families and practitioners.

- If your organisation offers multiple adoption support and information services for birth families, that is not already included in the Birth Families Map please complete and submit a separate survey for each service.

- We will be reviewing and updating the map and service directory information every summer for the next two years to make sure that we capture changes to what services are available and where. Please complete the survey with information about services as they currently stand.

- You can access and search the map here: https://frg.org.uk/birth-families-map

- If you have any questions or would like to talk through any aspect of the survey, please contact Angharad Davies, Social Work Adviser at Family Rights Group at adavies@frg.org.uk.

- The deadline to complete this survey is Friday 19 September 2025.

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* 1. Does your organisation offer a support or information service for birth families whose children have been adopted or may have a plan for adoption and be adopted in the future

Yes

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* 2. If not, please tell us the name of your organisation

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* 3. If yes, what is the name of the adoption support and/or information service?

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* 4. Name of organisation delivering the service? If different to the name of service

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* 5. Service contact details for birth families

Service website address:

Contact Name:

Address:

Email address:

Phone number:

Social media:

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* 6. Brief description/summary of the service No more than one paragraph

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* 7. Local authority area/areas where the service is available? Please list clearly, if necessary

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* 8. If the service only covers a small area within a local authority, please clearly specify the geographical area covered, and the local authority this fits within:

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* 9. Who does the service provide support and/or information for? Tick all that apply

The child’s birth mother (or the pregnant mother, if the baby is unborn)

The child’s birth father (or the partner of the pregnant mother, if the baby is unborn)

The child’s brothers and sisters including half siblings and step siblings

The child’s wider family and friends (including grandparents, aunts/uncles)

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* 10. At what point in the adoption do you provide support and/or information for birth families? Tick all that apply

When adoption is being considered (before legal proceedings have started)

When an adoption is being planned (including during legal proceedings)

After an adoption has taken place

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* 11. What support does the service provide? Tick all that apply and complete the detail (where relevant)

General advice and information about adoption

Legal advice and information about adoption

Advocacy

Counselling or therapeutic support

Peer support groups

Birth relative tracing or intermediary services who can help establish contact with an adopted person

Contributing to an adopted child’s life story work

Contact, including letterbox contact

Accessing adoption records and information about the birth family held by children’s services or another adoption agency

Another specialist service (for example, consensual adoption support):

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* 12. In what format is the support available? Tick all that apply

Online, including virtual meetings or webchat

In person, at a specific local location

In person, at a flexible location, such as your home

Phone

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* 13. Referral process Tick relevant answer apply and complete the relevant detail

You will need speak to one of these practitioners/professionals if you wish to be be referred to our service:

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* 14. How long can the service provide support and/or information for? Please tick relevant answer and complete missing information

Flexible based on how much support is needed

The service can provide support for a maximum of:

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* 15. Has the service been independently evaluated, with input from the families you support? Tick relevant answer and include weblink where relevant

No, not at this point

Yes, contact us for a copy of the evaluation

Yes, the evaluation is online available at:

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* 16. Is one-to-one support available? Tick relevant answer

Yes

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* 17. Do you provide support and/or information for birth family members who are under 18? Tick relevant answer

Yes

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* 18. Does your service provide specialist support and/or information for birth families affected by international adoption? Tick relevant answer

Yes

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* 19. Does your service provide specialist support and/or information for birth families affected by transracial adoption? Tick relevant answer

Yes

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* 20. Is additional tailored support available to make your service accessible to people with disabilities, including learning difficulties and learning disabilities? Tick relevant answer

Yes

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* 21. Are confidential interpreters and/or translation services available, when needed? Tick relevant answer

Yes

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* 22. Name and email address /phone number of person completing the form This is for our information only and will not be published as part of the directory