Support after you adopt
Supporting parents and children every step of the way
We’re here to help you and your child after adoption.
Some support is planned before adoption, however, we’re always here to discuss this as your child grows.
Your support plan
When a child is matched with you, we’ll agree on an Adoption Support Plan. This plan looks at what help you and your child might need.
What support can include
Local authorities offer different types of help, such as:
- advice and information
- counselling
- support groups for parents and children
- help with contact with birth family
- therapy services
- training to help adoption succeed
- financial help (based on your child’s needs)
We’ll update this support plan as things change for your child. It gives the Post Adoption Team a bit of background when you contact them in the future. When you get in touch, they’ll look at what’s happened before and what’s going on now, so that they can work out the kind of help you need at that time.
Working together
The local authority leads on adoption support, but Health and Education services also help. We’ll support you to access everything you need, and we’ll all work together with you.
Adoption support services
As an adoption agency we provide some adoption support services to all adoptive families after the child is adopted which include:
- 2 social events per year
- quarterly newsletters
- adopter led support groups to which professionals are invited
- an assessment of adoption support needs by experienced adoption support workers, where this is requested
- training workshops
- quarterly Activity for adopted Children and Young People separated by age groups
- access to Education Support Worker
- Life Story consultations (available to book each month)
Your adoption social worker is part of a dedicated team that specialises in adoption. We want you to feel supported whenever you need us. During office hours, you can reach a member of our team easily, and if something comes up outside those hours, the council’s out-of-hours service is here to help if it’s an emergency.
If you need advice, call our Adoption Support Advice Line on 01494 586 626 or email us at adoption@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.
Get in touch
Our friendly team is here to help, reach out if you have any questions or need support.