Adoption support

Adoption support includes any assistance likely to be needed by an adoptive family to support their adopted child to remain happy and settled in their adoptive home. This support might be needed at the beginning of a new adoption arrangement, throughout the remainder of the child’s childhood, or at specific periods of time as the child grows up.

Adoption Support Plan

When a child is matched to a new adoptive home, an Adoption Support Plan will be agreed. An Adoption Support Plan will seek to predict what support the child and adoptive family might need going forward and to lay this out.

Examples of support in an Adoption Support Plan may include:

• support for the child to maintain contact with any loved ones, which may include letterbox or face-to-face contact with their parents or siblings
• therapeutic support
• support around meeting any specific educational or health needs
• financial support

A copy of the Adoption Support Plan must be shared with the adoptive parent(s).

However, like all children, an adopted child’s needs are likely to adapt and develop as they grow older. In response, they and their adoptive families may benefit from additional support which may not have been predicted in the original Adoption Support Plan.

Adopt London North

Since 2019, Hackney has been one of six boroughs (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey and Islington) that make up our Regional Adoption Agency, Adopt London North.

Adopt London North is responsible for providing all adoption support on behalf of the partner boroughs, with the exception of financial support.

Adoptive families living in one of the Adopt London North boroughs, or caring for an adoptive child from one of these boroughs, should contact Adopt London North if they feel they need extra adoption support. Adopt London North can then help adoptive families explore a variety of support, including:

• specialist advice and guidance
• stay and play groups
• adopter support groups
• links to other services
• individual support for adoptive families
• support with letterbox contact and direct contact with birth families if appropriate
• a full assessment of an adoptive family’s needs
• support to access funding through the Adoption Support Fund

Visit Adopt London North for more information about the potential support available to adoptive families.

Adopt London North can also offer support to birth families of children who have been adopted.