Support for birth families
Cumbria Adoption offers an independent service for birth relatives who are or have been affected by adoption.
Birth relatives are entitled to an assessment for specific services. Our independent service for birth relatives affected by adoption can offer:
1. General advice and information around adoption.
2. Support to you, as a birth parent, during care proceedings when your child has a plan of adoption. We can help you understand the adoption process including post adoption contact arrangements and what it means for you. We can support you in providing information for your child. We can help you talk through your feelings about this and, if appropriate, signpost you to other services.
3. Support and advice with post adoption contact arrangements including help in writing letters through our letterbox service. Further advice can be found in our Writing your letterbox letter - guidance for birth families leaflet (PDF 700KB)
4. Signposting to agencies who can assist birth relatives wishing to make contact with an adopted child who is aged over eighteen. This is called an intermediary service. A useful website to find out more about this and the agencies that can provide this service is Adoption Search Reunion. Currently Cumbria Adoption does not offer this service.
5. Information about the Adoption Contact Register. This puts adopted adults and their birth relatives, if registered, in touch with one another and is administered by the General Register Office. More information can be found at gov.uk in the Adoption Records section and the Adoption Contact Register page.
Further advice
If you want advice or wish to request support, you can contact the Adoption Support Team:
- email AdoptionSupportTeam@cumbria.gov.uk
- Request a call back from the Adoption Support Team (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)
- Leave a message for the Adoption Support Team on 0303 333 1216 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)
If your child still has a social worker, they can make the referral on your behalf.
Additional information is available in our Independent advice and support for birth families leaflet (PDF 2.4MB)
Useful websites
Adoption Support Service Advisor
Every agency has an adoption support service advisor (ASSA), who can provide advice and information to all involved in adoption. The ASSA can also help you access adoption support and other specialist services:
Cumbria Adoption's ASSA is:
Jane Gray, Adoption Support Team Manager
Adoption Support Service Advisor (ASSA)
South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4DQ
Telephone: 0303 333 1216