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Advice and support

As well as the support services we offer to adoptive families, we also provide information, advice and support for adults affected by adoption.We recognise adoption is a lifelong experience with different aspects of adoption affecting different people at different times in their lives.  If you currently live in Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian or Midlothian or have a connection with an adoption arranged by:
o        Scottish Adoption Association
o        Edinburgh, East, Mid and West Lothian Councils
o        Lothian Regional Council
o        The Church of Scotland
o        The Episcopal Church of Scotland
We will offer you a support service if you are an adopted person, a birth parent or a birth family member.

Counselling for Adopted People

Many adopted people have questions about their origins; some just want to talk, some want information, some want to trace and meet their birth parents or other birth family relatives.  It is often difficult for people to know how to start this process.  Our confidential After Adoption Counselling Service is here to help.

- We can give advice on where adoption records are kept and how to get access to them.  We can help to make sense of these records and offer support and guidance should people wish to take the next stepo        We can advise people how to search for their relatives; in some situations we can do the search for them (a small fee involved)

- When the search is successful we can act as intermediary if the adopted person feels they would rather somebody else makes the first approach to their birth parent or relative

- Once the contact has been made we can help to plan an exchange of information and possibly a reunion.  We continue to be available for support for as long as necessary

- Throughout this process it is important that the adopted person feels in control and is able to make the decisions that are right for them

Counselling for Birth Parents and Birth Family Members

Birth parents and birth family members carry throughout their lives the knowledge that they may never know what happened to the child who was adopted.  The continuing sense of loss can be overwhelming and often there is no-one to turn to.  Our confidential After Adoption Counselling Service can help.
o        Sometimes a listening ear is all that is neededo        If the child is still young we are often able to obtain information from the adoptive parents which can help set minds at rest and sometimes can develop into an ongoing exchange of informationo        We also provide an intermediary service on behalf of birth parents and relatives wishing to let an adopted adult know they would welcome contact.  There is no guarantee of a positive outcome, but in many cases the result is a reunion or at least some information is exchanged

Support and advice is available throughout


Contact us by
tel: 0131 553 5060
email: info@scottishadoption.org

Scottish Adoption Association, 161 Constitution Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 7AD

Scottish Charity No: 12403