Our resource hub

There are a huge number of resources, guides and videos about adoption, and we understand it can feel overwhelming.

In our resources hub, we have selected the things we think may be most useful to you, wherever you are on the adoption journey.

Education and Schools

Links and websites

The Virtual School programme will be a source of advice and information to help parents advocate for their children as effectively as possible in school. Each local authority has its own virtual school and virtual school Head Teacher.

Please see below for the contact details of the virtual school in the local authorities that make up Adoption Counts:

Cheshire East - 07721498931 PostLAC@cheshireeast.gov.uk - Previously Looked After Children Support and Guidance (cheshireeast.gov.uk) [AT7] [KR8]

Manchester - 01612344160 lac.education@manchester.gov.uk - Virtual Schools (manchester.gov.uk)

Salford - 01617797924 PostLAC@salford.gov.uk - Previously cared for children who are living in Salford • Salford City Council

Stockport - virtualschoolteam@stockport.gov.uk - Virtual School for Looked After and previously Looked After Children - Stockport Council

Trafford - 01619122039 virtualschool@trafford.gov.uk - Virtual School (traffordvirtualschool.com)

PAC-UK’s guide for school staff 'Meeting the needs of adopted and permanently placed children: A guide for school staff' covers a range of topics including: what we know about adopted children in education, a background to early developmental trauma, whole school approaches, and support for schools and families

PAC-UK have also produced a Pupil Premium Plus Guide for schools and families on effective use of the Pupil Premium Plus.

Adoption UK’s guide 'Meeting the needs of adopted and permanently placed children - A guide for adoptive parents' includes information about Virtual School Heads (VSHs), Designated Teachers (DTs), Priority School Admission, Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) and dedicates two pages to Intercountry Adoption and Schools.

Post adoption contact

Links and websites

The University of East Anglia has undertaken a study around contact after adoption, and answers questions about what post-adoption contact arrangements are like from the point of view of children, adoptive parents and birth relatives. The "Contact after Adoption" Study can be viewed here

The University of East Anglia has also been instrumental in the content and research found on the Contact after adoption website

Community Care has produced an excellent article on the subject of adoption contact in the social media age.

Child health

Links and websites

NOFAS-UK (The National Organisation for Foetal* Alcohol Syndrome-UK) is dedicated to supporting people affected by FASD, their families and communities.

Top Tips for adoptive families navigating the “Virtual World” - document download here.

Adoption advocacy

Adopter Voice

Adoption UK is working with Adoption Counts to ensure the experiences of adopters are heard in the development of its Centre of Excellence and used to improve practice and services. The Adopter Advisory Board (AAB) is made up of Champions that run Adopter Voice and led by a Chairperson who meet 6 times a year, collate the views of other adopters across the whole region and then collaborate to make recommendations to improve practice and services.

Adopter Voice Counts has been set up by Adoption UK to seek the views of families across Adoption Counts on specific topics to help with the development by tackling specific topics you have the lived experience of. We have a team of adopters from across your region, your Adopter Voice Champions, to help connect the group members.

These Adopter Voice Champions make up the members of the Adopter Advisory Board. Please do get in touch and connect with your Champions via adoptervoice@adoptionuk.org.uk

Adopted adults

Links and websites

https://www.familyconnect.org.uk is a website that offers up-to-date information about services that can help you look at tracing your relatives, and advice and information about meeting with them, should you wish to do so.

Tracing Birth Relatives, A Practical Guide by CoramBAAF is a useful guide to tracing family members and provides contact details for agencies that offer intermediary services.