Support after you adopt

We’re here to help you and your child as soon as your child moves in and after adoption.

We’ll support you every step of the way. From the moment you’re matched with your child through the adoption order and into the first year and beyond, ensuring you have everything you need.

Some support is planned before adoption, however, we’re always here to discuss this as your child grows.

And if you ever require additional guidance in the future, we’re only a phone call away.

Speak to our Post Adoption Support Team if you need support, guidance or to just ask a question. No matter how big or small, we're here to help.

Phone: 01494 586 626
Online: Get in touch

When a child is matched with you, we’ll agree on an adoption support plan. This plan looks at what help you and your child might need.

We will offer different types of help, including:

• advice and information
• counselling
• support groups for parents and children
• help with contact with birth family
• therapy services
• training to help adoption succeed
• financial help (based on your child’s needs)

We’ll update this support plan as things change for your child before the adoption order as it gives the Post Adoption Support Team a bit of background when you contact them after the adoption order is granted.

When you get in touch, they’ll look at what’s happened before and what’s going on now, so that they can work out the kind of help you need at that time. Further support can be accessed by requesting an assessment of need.

We provide adoption support services to all adoptive families after the child is adopted which include:

• 2 social events per year
• quarterly newsletters
• adopter led support groups to which professionals are invited
• an assessment of adoption support needs by experienced adoption support workers, where this is requested
• training workshops
• quarterly Activity for adopted Children and Young People separated by age groups
• access to Education Support Worker
• Life Story consultations (available to book each month)

Your adoption social worker is part of a dedicated team that specialises in adoption.

The local authority leads on adoption support, but health and education services also help. We’ll support you to access everything you need, and we’ll all work together with you.

Your family may be eligible for the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF), which helps provide access to adoption-specific therapeutic support.

You can use this fund from the moment your child moves in, before the adoption order, and we’ll consider it as soon as you’re matched.

If needed, you can also request an assessment of need later in your child’s life through our post-adoption team.

Find out if you’re eligible for the adoption support fund (via first4adoption.org).

If you're employed and take time off work to adopt a child, It’s likely that you’ll be eligible for statutory adoption leave and pay (via GOV.UK).

Visit First 4 Adoption to view more support options for adopters.

Our support doesn't end once the adoption order is in place.

We like to keep in touch with you to check that you and your family are doing well and that you are kept up to date with the support we offer.

We do this through:

• check ins with your assessing Social worker during the first 12 months post order.
• twice yearly social events
• a quarterly newsletter
• reviews of Staying in Touch arrangements (formerly known as contact)
• educational consultations with the Virtual School to ensure your child is accessing all available support to allow them to thrive at school
• life story consultations with dedicated Life Story workers as your child learns about and works through their personal story
• bespoke training and workshops offered on adoption specific issues

And if you need to speak to us, we're a phone call away. During office hours, you can reach a member of our team easily, and if something comes up outside those hours, the council’s out-of-hours service is here to help if it’s an emergency.