Support for the lifelong adoption journey
Adoption is lifelong, and so is the need for support. This page brings together trusted organisations, services, guidance and resources to help adopted people, adoptive families, birth relatives, professionals and supporters understand where help may be available in Scotland.
Understanding The Adoption Landscape In Scotland
Adoption support in Scotland is provided by a range of organisations, each with different roles and responsibilities. Understanding who does what can help families, adopted people, professionals and policymakers navigate the system and access the right support at the right time.
Scottish Government
Sets legislation, national policy and strategic priorities for adoption, permanence and support.
The Promise Scotland
Supports Scotland’s national commitment that children grow up loved, safe and respected.
CELCIS
Supports research, learning and practice improvement around permanence, care and adoption.
Adoption Task Force
A professional forum and critical friend helping to shape adoption practice and policy. It is separate from the Scottish Adoption Alliance.
Local Authorities
Hold statutory responsibilities for adoption services, assessments, support planning and local social work routes.
Voluntary Adoption Agencies
Recruit, assess and support adoptive families, often providing lifelong and specialist post-adoption services.
Support Charities
Provide peer support, therapeutic help, helplines, youth projects, records guidance and signposting.
Adult Adoptee Services
Support identity, records, birth-family contact, reunion, counselling, rights and lived-experience voice.
Research & Learning Bodies
Help build evidence, improve practice and strengthen understanding of trauma, attachment and lifelong impact.
How The Landscape Fits Together
Adopted People & Adult Adoptees
Adoption does not end in childhood. Many adopted people continue to navigate questions of identity, belonging, family history, medical information, records, reunion and the lifelong impact of early separation.
Identity & Belonging
Adult adoptees may seek support to understand their own story, early experiences, family history, identity and sense of belonging.
Records & Information
Support may include help understanding adoption records, court papers, original birth information, agency records and historic documents.
Birth Family Contact
Some adult adoptees want information only. Others may wish to explore contact, reunion or mediated communication with birth relatives.
Counselling & Therapy
Adoption can have lifelong emotional effects. Some adults need counselling or therapy from practitioners who understand adoption, trauma and identity.
Medical History
Missing family medical history can affect adult adoptees’ health, identity and ability to understand hereditary risk.
Voice & Rights
Adult adoptee voices should shape adoption policy, support services and public understanding of adoption’s lifelong impact.
Questions adult adoptees may be asking
- How do I access my original birth certificate?
- Where are my adoption records held?
- Can I see my court papers or social work file?
- How do I find information about my birth family?
- What support is available before or after reunion?
- Where can I find adoption-aware counselling?
- How do I meet or hear from other adult adoptees?
- How can my experience influence policy and services?
Adoption.scot Adult Adoptees
National information for adult adoptees, including records, birth-family contact and support routes.
Visit Resource →Scottish Adult Adoptee Movement
A lived-experience movement raising adult adoptee voices, campaigning for rights and creating adoptee-only spaces.
Visit Website →Birthlink
Supports people affected by adoption with a Scottish connection, including adopted adults, birth parents and relatives.
Visit Birthlink →National Records of Scotland
Official guidance on adoption records, adoption certificates and the Adopted Children Register.
View Guidance →Scottish Courts
Guidance on adoption court records, how long courts keep them and when they are transferred.
View Guidance →Health in Mind
Historic forced adoption support, including counselling and peer support for people affected by Scottish historic adoption practices.
Find Support →Adoptive Families & Therapeutic Support
Families may need different support at different stages of the adoption journey. Some services offer advice and peer support; others provide therapeutic intervention, education support, psychological services, life story work or direct work with children and young people.
Adoption UK Scotland
Information, advice, resources, community groups and support for everyone affected by adoption in Scotland.
Visit Adoption UK →PATHways
Therapeutic and psychology-led support for families affected by adoption, including trauma, attachment, parenting and life story work.
View PATHways →Early PATHways
Therapeutic parenting support for families at placement or early into placement, helping create conditions for healthy development.
View Early PATHways →Education Pathway
Support for children and young people facing education challenges, helping families and schools work together.
View Education Support →The #E Project
Adoption UK Scotland’s youth project for young people aged 5–25 from adoptive, kinship or FASD backgrounds.
View #E Project →Barnardo’s Scotland Adoption Support
Support for adoptive families, including therapeutic parenting, education engagement, life story work and parent groups.
View Service →Families can also contact their local authority adoption team for post-adoption assessment, support planning, local social work routes and signposting to available services.
Birth Families & Relatives
Birth parents, siblings and wider relatives may also need information, counselling, records guidance, support around contact, or help understanding the lifelong impact of adoption and separation.
Birthlink
Supports people affected by adoption with a Scottish connection who are looking for someone, looking for information or need someone to talk to.
Visit Birthlink →Adoption Contact Register
A route for adopted people, birth parents and other birth relatives to register a wish for contact.
View Register →Historic Forced Adoption Support
Health in Mind provides support for people affected by Scottish historic forced adoption practices.
Find Support →Agency Records
Where an adoption was arranged by a particular agency, that agency may hold records or be able to advise on next steps.
Go To Records Section →Counselling & Emotional Support
Searching, reunion and historic adoption experiences can be emotionally complex. Support should be sensitive, trauma-aware and led by the person seeking help.
Sibling & Family Connections
Some people seek information or contact with siblings or wider family members. Routes vary depending on records, consent and the circumstances of the adoption.
Voluntary Adoption Agencies In Scotland
Voluntary Adoption Agencies recruit, assess and support adoptive families. Many also provide lifelong support, counselling, training, records services, origins support or specialist post-adoption help.
Scottish Adoption & Fostering
Provides adoption and fostering services, with support for families and records-related services for adoptions it arranged.
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St Margaret’s
A voluntary adoption agency offering adoption support and services around origins, records and adult adoptee enquiries.
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St Andrew’s Children’s Society
Provides adoption and fostering support, including therapeutic life story work, Theraplay, direct work and whole-family support.
Visit Website →
Barnardo’s Scotland
Provides adoption services in Scotland and support that continues after a child joins their family.
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Kibble Adoption
Provides adoption services and support using trauma-informed, attachment-informed and relationship-based approaches.
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CVAA Scotland
CVAA Scotland brings together Scotland’s five voluntary adoption agencies around shared priorities and reform.
View Manifesto →Records, Tracing & Identity
Adoption records can be held in different places depending on when and where the adoption took place, which court handled the order, and which agency or local authority arranged it.
National Records of Scotland
Official guidance on adoption records, the Adopted Children Register and adoption certificates.
View NRS Guidance →Scottish Courts
Guidance on accessing adoption court records and where records may be held over time.
View Court Guidance →Birthlink Records Help
Birthlink can help people with a Scottish adoption connection understand where records may be held.
Accessing Records →Adoption Contact Register
The register allows adopted people, birth parents and other birth relatives to record a wish for contact.
View Register →MyGov Scotland
Public guidance on finding birth family and where to start when seeking information after adoption.
View Guidance →Agency Record Holders
Some records may be held by the original adoption agency, successor agency or local authority. The right route can depend on the history of the adoption.
Start With NRS →Research, Evidence & Professional Learning
Scotland has a strong network of researchers, charities and improvement organisations working to better understand adoption, permanence, attachment, trauma and lifelong family relationships.
CELCIS
National improvement and learning around care, protection, permanence and adoption practice.
Visit CELCIS →AFKA Scotland
Supports fostering, kinship and adoption practice through advice, training, consultancy and policy influence.
Visit AFKA →CRFR
The Centre for Research on Families and Relationships supports and shares research about families and relationships across the life course.
Visit CRFR →Professor Helen Minnis
University of Glasgow research and clinical expertise around attachment, early adversity and child mental health.
View Profile →Scottish Attachment In Action
Promotes understanding of attachment relationships and their implications for policy, practice and education.
Visit SAIA →IRISS
Provides learning resources for social work and social care, including attachment theory in practice.
View Resource →National Trauma Transformation Programme
Supports trauma-informed and responsive practice across Scotland’s children and families workforce.
View Programme →Education Scotland Trauma Learning
Professional learning around trauma-informed and responsive education practice.
View Learning →National Information & Matching Services
These services help people understand the adoption process, matching, local authority contacts and official guidance.
Adoption.scot
Scotland’s national adoption information portal for prospective adopters, adoptive families, adult adoptees, birth parents and practitioners.
Visit Adoption.scot →Scotland’s Adoption Register
A national service that finds families for children and supports prospective adopters and professionals in the matching process.
Visit Register →MyGov Scotland
Public guidance on adopting a child in Scotland, eligibility, process and local council routes.
View Guidance →Adoption Contacts
Scottish Government list of adoption contacts for local authorities across Scotland.
Find Contacts →Crisis & Urgent Support
Families should not have to reach crisis before receiving help. This section is for signposting only. The Scottish Adoption Alliance does not provide emergency or clinical crisis services.
Immediate danger
If someone is in immediate danger, if there is a risk to life, violence is being used or threatened, or a crime is in progress, call 999. For non-emergency police contact in Scotland, call 101.
Emergency Services
Call 999 where there is immediate danger, risk to life, violence, serious harm or an emergency.
Police Scotland Guidance →NHS 24 Mental Health Hub
Call 111 and choose the mental health option if you are distressed, in despair, suicidal or need emotional support.
View NHS Inform →Breathing Space
For people in Scotland over 16 feeling low, anxious or depressed. Call 0800 83 85 87.
Visit Breathing Space →Children First Support Line
Free support for families in Scotland. Call 08000 28 22 33 or use webchat.
Get Support →Childline
Free support for children and young people. Call 0800 1111 or use online counselling.
Visit Childline →For child safety or wellbeing concerns, contact your local social work team, local authority emergency social work service, or the NSPCC Helpline. For adoption-specific family support, contact your local authority adoption team or a relevant adoption support organisation.
Useful Starting Points
The right starting point depends on who you are and what you need.
I am an adult adoptee
Start with Adoption.scot Adult Adoptees, Birthlink, National Records of Scotland, Scottish Courts and adult adoptee-led organisations.
Go To Adult Adoptees →I am an adoptive parent
Start with Adoption UK Scotland, your local authority adoption team, PATHways or the agency that supported your adoption.
Go To Family Support →I am a birth relative
Start with Birthlink, the Adoption Contact Register, Health in Mind historic adoption support or the agency/local authority involved.
Go To Birth Families →I am a professional
Start with CELCIS, AFKA Scotland, Adoption.scot, IRISS and trauma-informed professional learning resources.
Go To Research →Help Us Improve The Support Landscape
Scotland has many organisations working in and around adoption, but families and adopted people still describe a system that can be difficult to navigate. By sharing experiences, improving signposting and strengthening accountability, we can help ensure support is easier to find, faster to access and available throughout life.