All parents and adoptees need support from time to time and we offer it whenever it is needed. Adoption is for life, so is our support.
At Coram IAC, our aim is for adopted children to be able to grow up in safe, supportive and nurturing families who understand their needs and the experiences in their lives that have led them to being adopted. All adopted children will have experienced some loss and separation – for example of family or previous care givers – and intercountry adoptees will also feel a separation from their country of birth. Many will have experienced bereavement, abuse, neglect or other traumas. Our Adoption Support services can help by connecting you with professionals and peers.
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Support for adopters | Support for adoptees
Support for adopters
To ensure that our adopters feel confident, informed and prepared to provide the care and support our children need, Coram IAC provides a diverse preparation and support offer. This is available to you from the very beginning of your assessment, through your adoption journey and as your child grows into adulthood.
We provide training courses, support groups and the option of one to one support at any point through your journey.
Setting out
As part of your assessment you will be offered:
- Preparation groups for everyone
- Bespoke training for people who hope to adopt identified children (children they already know) or kinship (children from within their extended family)
- Bespoke training for families who are wanting to adopt again and those who already have birth children in the family
- Family and Friends workshops
- Virtual coffee mornings with other adopters, including special groups for single adopters, African adopters and parenting teens
All these courses aim to grow your understanding of the needs and experiences of adopted children, help you develop your skills as parents and learn about therapeutic parenting (parenting in a way that helps and supports children to heal from any past hurts, traumas or difficult experiences).
Along the way
Training and learning doesn’t stop after those initial courses. While you are going through the assessment and legal processes to adopt, you will be able to continue your learning, gaining greater knowledge and understanding about child development and various aspects of parenting children, with training courses in:
- Parenting children across racial and cultural boundaries
- Therapeutic parenting approaches
- Supporting children to understand their adoption and life story
Alongside the training courses, adopters are encouraged to make use of a wide range of bespoke online support groups and coffee mornings. These groups give you the opportunity to develop relationships with other families in similar situations to your own – this can lead to life-long connections for you and your adopted child.
All together as an adoptive family
The need for support, learning, understanding or just a place to share experiences and hear from others doesn’t stop when your child comes home. Some changes and events can sometimes be difficult for adopted children, like changes in education, becoming a teenager, moving or losing a friend. Coram IAC’s adoption support continues through training and workshops that you can repeat and support groups that you can drop into whenever you feel the need for a bit of help as your child grows.
And all the way through
Coram IAC’s adoption support social workers are experienced, qualified and skilled adoption workers. They provide individual sessions for adopters, and where appropriate for children and young people. They are there at any point for one off or short term support and can help you think through a wide range of situations and any challenges that might come up from your assessment onwards. These include supporting you to talk to children about adoption, preparing to meet a child abroad, planning for bringing your child back home, managing difficulties within the school environment, helping your child manage their feelings, and much more.
If you would like a one to one conversation with an Adoption Support Worker, please get in touch via AdoptionSupport@coramiac.org.uk.
Get togethers
Every year, Coram IAC holds a family fun day for all the families who have adopted children through Coram IAC and events “Just for Teens”. They’re a chance to come together to meet with others, share experiences, celebrate and have fun.
Support for adoptees
We know that it is really important for anyone who has been adopted to understand why, and we support our Coram IAC adopters to share information with their children.
We also run support groups and events for children and young people so that you can meet other people who were also adopted and learn more about what it means to be an adoptee.
If you are worried about something or someone is behaving in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, you can also ring Childline on 0800 1111. The call is free and confidential.
If you are an adult adoptee seeking support, you can contact our Information & Advice Service using the button below. Our expert team will be able to offer advice and signposting.
Searching
Coram IAC can offer advice to adopted adults whose adoption has an international element and who are seeking their records, or are looking to make a connection with their birth relatives. If you are looking for information about birth relatives, our adoption support team can help point you in the right direction with a number of resources.
Although we don’t take on these cases directly, we will have a discussion with you and offer advice on how to proceed. We can send out a list of useful information that includes contact details of registered intermediaries and experienced searchers, as well as other relevant departments to contact.
Coram IAC also hosts the International Searchers Group, which is a peer support network. The group is for any adoptee whose adoption has an international aspect and it supports adoptees who are navigating their identity, looking to understand their personal history, or actively searching for family members. For further details of the upcoming meetings, please contact AdoptionSupport@coramiac.org.uk.
Get in touch
We are here to help you, whatever stage of the adoption journey you are at. The majority of our Adoption Support courses and groups are carried out online, and one to one conversations with a social worker can be via phone call or video meetings. Email us at AdoptionSupport@coramiac.org.uk or using the button below to find out how we can support you and your family.