Family Action announces the expansion of its FamilyConnect service, managed by the country’s largest adoption support agency PAC-UK, to support people affected by adoption and to help reunite families before it is too late.
FamilyConnect was launched by national charity Family Action in 2020 and is delivered by its adoption support agency, PAC-UK. The online resource was developed to support people looking to find out about their history, their family members and to gain understanding about why they were separated from their birth family.
With funding from Adoption England, FamilyConnect will now provide a funded intermediary service for adult adoptees, and birth parents/relatives who were affected by adoption pre-1976, and who wish to reconnect with each other. The service has also been expanded to offer a specialist telephone advice line and additional online resources for birth parents/relatives and professionals.
Sir David Holmes CBE, CEO of Family Action said “I am proud to be able to announce the launch of this enhanced support from FamilyConnect and I am grateful to Adoption England for the additional funding that has made this possible.
“We know from the number of enquiries we receive that there is a huge need for good quality and accessible adoption support services, and we have seen huge demand for the support provided by FamilyConnect since we launched the service four years ago.
“I am delighted that we are now able to offer even more support and practical help before it is too late for many families. I hope that this positive investment in FamilyConnect will pave the way for further investment in vital adoption support services, like this, in the future.”
Birth mother Jill Killington was reunited with her son following a forced adoption in 1967. Jill said: “The services available through FamilyConnect are extremely important to support families disconnected by the adoptions of the past to navigate the often-emotional journey of reconnection and reunion.
“Adoption for so many birth parents and adoptees inevitably leave scars – some we can hope to heal, sadly others might take a lifetime to bear. It is still painful.
“Time is not on our side. Many birth mothers are now in their late 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. And very sadly many will end their lives still being affected by their terrible loss, unless they and their children receive the support they deserve and need to make that first step to recover from the trauma of the past.”
FamilyConnect is an 18-month pilot that includes, intermediary services for adoptions that took place between 1949 and 1976*1, (subject to eligibility criteria being met), a specialist telephone advice line on services and funding available, and new online resources for birth parents/relatives and professionals.
Emma Crowther-Duncan, North Adult Services Regional Manager at Family Action/PAC-UK, said: “For people to have access to funded intermediary services, through FamilyConnect, will help those people who were not able to access this service previously, due to cost.
“FamilyConnect helps remove a barrier that shouldn’t exist and allows people the freedom of choice, it sends the message that “we are invested in you, your story and your future”.
Jill Killington concludes: “We can never change the past, but hopefully with FamilyConnect, there is much-needed support for those affected by adoption both now and in the future.”
FamilyConnect was originally developed with the insight and leadership of experts Sir David Holmes CBE, Julia Feast OBE, University College London’s MIRRA project and the Care Leavers’ Association.
For more information, including current advice line opening times:
Visit: www.familyconnect.org.uk
Email: FamilyConnect@pac-uk.org
Phone: 0300 1800 205