Adoption Support
Adopted children often have a difficult start in life and sometimes struggle with relationships and attachments to their new family and routines. They’re entitled to grow up as part of a loving family that can meet their developmental needs during childhood and beyond. There is a variety of adoption support available to families, and Adopt London is here to help guide you toward the most appropriate support when you need it.
Support for adopters
Due to early trauma and separation, adopted children have often developed certain coping mechanisms that mean they can find it difficult to form relationships, and display challenging behaviour.
You will learn various techniques during your preparation training on how to cope with this, but as you get to know your child you will become aware of the complexities of their issues.
It is important to recognise at this point that this is the norm and that there is support and a range of therapies available to help you and your child overcome these difficulties.
Your Regional Adoption Agency can advise you on the adoption support services that may be available to you.
Support services may include:
- Advice and guidance
- Stay and play groups
- Adopter support groups
- Links to other services
- Individual support for adoptive families
- Support with letterbox contact and direct contact if appropriate
- A full assessment of your family’s needs
- Support to access funding through the Adoption Support Fund
Commissioned services
We have also commissioned services to provide a variety of online support for adoptive families and those with a Special Guardianship Order. If you are an adopter, please consider joining WAF Talks or the Adopt London Virtual Choir. We also have memberships available for The National Association of Therapeutic Parents (NATP). You can find out more details about any of these services below.
WAF Talks
Adopt London is working in partnership with We Are Family (WAF) an independent adoption support community that operates in and around London. Membership is free and open to adopters, approved adopters and prospective adopters who are in Stage Two of their assessment. This project is called WAFTalks, and runs two webinars each month to share adoption-specific information and support to parents for their children and families. All WAFTalks webinars are recorded for future access by WAF members, so you never have to miss out. For more details about future and past webinars, please see our We Are Family page.
In addition to the webinars, We Are Family also provides opportunities to connect online, such as local group meet-ups on Zoom, blogs, a private Facebook group, and other member resources. All events are designed and run by adopters, on a voluntary basis. Rather than offering advice, they offer community. To sign up for a free membership, visit their website.
Join the Adopt London Choir
Adopt London is offering adoptive parents a unique and free opportunity to be part of the Adopt London Virtual Choir. Sessions provide an opportunity to come together and feel uplifted alongside other adoptive parents. Regardless of your singing ability, we will build positive memories of our time during the COVID pandemic. See our blog for more information.
The Adopt London virtual choir is run via the App Zoom by vocal coach and foster carer Megan Tanner. They meet every Tuesday for one hour at 7:30pm and work on around 3 songs every six weeks. Any approved adopter that lives in one of the 24 Adopt London boroughs can email Megan at [email protected] to request a choir place, please include your full name and the borough you live in or RAA that you are linked to.
If you needed a further incentive to join the virtual choir, listen to well-known singing coaches and adopters David and Carrie Grant tell us more about the benefits of singing together.
National Association of Therapeutic Parents (NATP)
The National Association of Therapeutic Parents (NATP) is a not-for-profit organisation, formed to help families dealing with the difficult behaviour of children who had suffered trauma, and to help with the feelings of isolation, of being blamed, misunderstood, and unsupported. If you are an adoptive parent or a Special Guardian you can sign up for free. The NATP offer a range of services that can help. This short video will help explain more about their work, or you can read our blogfor some of the many benefits of joining. To access the free memberships, simply email: [email protected] and quote the code Adopt London.
Find your regional support
The Local Authority that places the child with you is responsible for assessing your adoption support needs for three years after the adoption order. After three years it becomes the responsibility of the Local Authority or Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) where you live (if different).
Regional adoption support information:
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