Working in partnership for the people of Herefordshire

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Adoption support

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Adoption support

Herefordshire Council offers a service to people in the county who are affected by adoption. This includes:

  • Adoptive parents
  • Adopted children and young people
  • Adopted adults
  • Birth relatives of people who have been adopted

How can we help adoptive families?

We can offer:

  • Support and advice on adoption issues such as attachment, education, health, behavioural problems, talking about adoption, life story work, parenting adopted children
  • A letterbox service which facilitates written contact between adoptive families and birth relatives of children under 18 years.
  • Help with contact issues
  • Workshops and training
  • Support groups
  • Regular newsletters
  • Information about other services and agencies
  • Family days
  • Assessment of support needs.

You can request an assessment for support if you live in Herefordshire and have adopted a child from this agency, or adopted a child from another agency more than three years ago. You may also request an assessment if you adopted a child from Herefordshire less than 3 years ago, but do not live in the county. This includes an assessment for financial support. The decision to provide financial support is based on the child's needs, available resources and the adopters’ circumstances.

How can we help adopted adults?

Our services for adopted adults are provided in partnership with Adoption Support, an independent agency based in Birmingham providing a service covering Herefordshire

They include:

  • Help with obtaining information from adoption records
  • Advice about tracing birth family members
  • Acting as a link between you and birth relatives
  • Advice and support before or after a reunion

How can we help birth relatives of people who have been adopted?

The following services for birth relatives are provided in partnership with Adoption Support, an independent organisation for those affected by adoption.

They include:

  • Advice about contact with your child
  • Confidential support to help you cope with your loss
  • Advising you if your child wants to trace you
  • Assisting you to renew contact with adopted relatives who are now adults (intermediary services)
  • Advice or support before or after a reunion

We provide:

  • A letterbox service which facilitates written contact between adoptive families and birth relatives (for children under 18)

Details of how to contact Herefordshire Adoption Support Services can be found in the contacts box on this page. If you would like further information about any of our services you can contact an adoption social worker on Mondays from 2pm until 5.15pm, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 9.30am and 1pm.

Resources
Adobe PDF File (28 kb)Registering An Adoption Veto
Information about registering a veto
Adobe PDF
28kb
Adobe PDF File (54 kb)Herefordshire Adoption Support Agency Leaflet
Adobe PDF
54kb
Adobe PDF File (110 kb)Adoption Support Information for Children
Information for children regarding adoption support services
Adobe PDF
110kb
Adobe PDF File (24 kb)Intermediary Services for Adoption
Information Leaflet for Birth Relatives
Adobe PDF
24kb
Adobe PDF File (24 kb)Finding out about birth relatives
Information Leaflet for Adopted Adults
Adobe PDF
24kb


If you need help to understand a document, or would like it in another format or language, please call 01432 260500 or email info@herefordshire.gov.uk

[External Link to Adobe Website for PDF Reader Download] Adobe offer a free Reader to view these files which can be downloaded from their website
External Links
  • [Link to external links statement] [British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF)]
    Charity site: supports, advises and campaigns for better outcomes for children in care
  • [Link to external links statement] [Adoption UK]
    Charity site: Adoption UK is a national charity run by and for adopters, providing self-help information, advice, support and training on all aspects of adoption and adoptive parenting.
  • [Link to external links statement] [Adoption Support]
    Charity site: supports all those whose lives have been affected by adoption
  • [Link to external links statement] [After Adoption]
    Charity site: After Adoption is a voluntary adoption agency and one of the largest providers of adoption support services in the UK.
  • [Link to external links statement] [NORCAP]
    National site: NORCAP's aim is to help adults affected by adoption and to reduce distress and anxiety
  • [Link to external links statement] [Adoption Search Reunion website]
    National site: this website is intended to be the first port of call for anyone thinking about searching for or making contact with birth and adopted relatives or researching an adoption that took place in the UK
Herefordshire Council is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. Please notify us if you have any concerns about external links found on our site at the following address editor@herefordshire.gov.uk
 
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Herefordshire Council, Brockington, Hereford. HR1 1SH | Tel: (01432) 260000 | info@herefordshire.gov.uk