Voice of lived experience: Adopted young people

Part of Staying in touch: Contact after adoption > Purpose of staying in touch

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Research reviews and summaries     Lived experience: Adopted young people      Lived experience: Birth parents

In this section of short films we hear from young people about their experiences of adoption and maintaining relationships.

When adoptive parents are helped to understand that contact could help their child, they are more likely to support it. Practitioners are encouraged to share the resources on this page with adoptive parents as well as using them to promote their own professional development.

Hearing from adopted young people 

The stories we bring with us - messages for adoptive parents from adopted people 

We hear from young people who are adopted talk about loss, trauma, identity, birth family and contact. There are three films, each of which has a set of reflective questions for adoptive parents to work through. Practitioners are encouraged to share the films with the adoptive families they work with.

Film one: The adopted people in this film discuss loss, trauma, shame, transparency and identity.

Length: 11 minutes.

Reflective questions

  • What feelings and challenges do the adopted people describe? 
  • How does this make you feel as an adoptive parent? 
  • What might you do to mitigate some of the difficulties the adopted people discuss? 
  • What preparation and support would be helpful for you to help your child? 

Film two: The adopted people in this film discuss birth relatives, contact and reunion.

Length: 7 minutes.

Reflective questions

  • How do you feel about the adopted people’s descriptions of their first family?

  • What actions will you take as an adoptive parent to help your child with their feelings about their first family?

  • How might this affect the way that you approach relationships with birth relatives?

Film three: The adopted people in this film discuss growing older as an adopted person, support and self-care for adoptive parents.

Length: 9 minutes.

Reflective questions

  • How are you going to look after yourself as an adoptive parent? Why is this important? 

  • What are the key messages from adopted people to adoptive parents?

  • What additional support do you think you need from professionals to help your child going forward?

These films were made by PAC-UK and have been adapted by Research in Practice. A full version of the video is available, watch the full video.

PAC-UK provide specialist support to all parties affected by adoption and permanency. For more information about PAC-UK visit www.pac-uk.org, or contact their advice line on 0300 1800 090 or email advice@pac-uk.org.

Staying in touch: Contact after adoption

Supporting practitioners in practice: a resource collection of research briefings, practice guides, exercises, links to relevant research, practical tools and more.