Adoption UK

Adoption UK is the UK-wide charity for adoptive families, adopted people and kinship carers. Its information and support line is open to anyone touched by adoption or kinship care — including birth relatives navigating the aftermath of placement, adopters facing contact questions, and kinship carers and special guardians.

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-31

What Adoption UK is

Adoption UK was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Banbury, Oxfordshire. It supports adoptive families, adoptees and kinship carers across the UK, campaigning for the right support at the right time for every child unable to live with their birth parents.

Its services include the national information and support line, an online community, local support groups, training for parents and professionals, and the FASD Hub Scotland service for families affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

What help it offers

Information and support line: 0300 666 0006, available Monday to Friday, 10am to 2.30pm (excluding bank holidays). Options route you to the right nation's service (England, Scotland, Wales — option 5 — or Northern Ireland). Calls are recorded; tell the adviser at the start if you wish to remain anonymous.
Call-back service — leave a voicemail and an adviser will call you back between 10am and 2.30pm.
Email support at informationsupport@adoptionuk.org.uk.
Advice from information and support advisers — practical suggestions, information and encouragement, or signposting to specialist help. Anyone is welcome to call, including adoptees, adopters, kinship carers, professionals and support networks.
Peer support community and local groups for adoptive and kinship families.
FASD Hub Scotland — specialist support line and services for families affected by FASD.

Important limits: Adoption UK does not provide legal advice, cannot represent you in court, and its support line is not a crisis service — in an emergency call 999, Samaritans on 116 123, or for a child, Childline on 0800 1111.

Contact details

Website: https://www.adoptionuk.org
Information and support line: 0300 666 0006 (Mon–Fri 10am–2.30pm, excluding bank holidays)
Email: informationsupport@adoptionuk.org.uk
Support line pages: https://www.adoptionuk.org/information-and-support-service

How a self-representing parent can use Adoption UK

1. Adoption and contact questions. If your case involves adoption — whether letterbox contact, contact arrangements, or an application involving an adopted child — the support line can explain how adoption support and contact typically work in practice. 2. Kinship and special guardianship families. Adoption UK increasingly supports kinship carers and special guardians; its advisers can signpost kinship-specific services (see also the Kinship charity and Family Rights Group). 3. Therapeutic support evidence. If you are seeking adoption support funding or therapeutic services from a local authority, Adoption UK's information on what support should be available helps you make a grounded request. 4. Post-placement difficulties. Education problems, attachment difficulties and aggression at home are common post-adoption issues; advisers know the pathways to CAMHS, virtual schools and adoption support teams. 5. Peer support. Connecting with families who have been through similar proceedings or support battles is one of the charity's core strengths.

Useful links

Adoption UK homepage: https://www.adoptionuk.org
Information and support line: https://www.adoptionuk.org/information-and-support-service
Get help now: https://www.adoptionuk.org/get-help-now

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws, procedures and contact details change — verify anything important against the official sources linked above before relying on it. Your Family Case is an independent directory listing; we take no referral fees and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or receiving payment from any organisation listed.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.