July 21, 2015
Welcome to the second in our new web series, ‘Spotlight on…’. Each month, we will go into more detail about one of our valuable services, to give you a real flavour of the work we do at SFCS and the support we can offer to anyone touched by adoption.
Earlier this month, the latest series of Long Lost Family came to an end. This evocative programme looks at adoption from the point of view of the birth family and the adoptee, and few would disagree that it packs an emotional punch. So now seems a good time to look at our Building Connections service.
Building Connections is our birth records counselling and family tracing service. Although their experience of growing up in an adoptive family may be a happy one, many adopted adults wish to find out more about their birth history. Deciding to explore your adoption history or trace your birth family is a huge step – Building Connections is here to help you when you decide to take that step.
We hold the records for people adopted through SFCS, whether recently or in the past. But even if your adoption wasn’t handled by SFCS, we can still provide an intermediary service, accessing any available files relating to your adoption and using our expertise to trace your birth family.
Tracing your family can be a lengthy and emotional process, and our specialist team is here to support you. We will discuss your needs, what you hope to get out of the process, and make sure that you are fully prepared for whatever might lie ahead.
As we work with you and hopefully begin to trace your records and piece your story together, you will continue to receive one-to-one support and counselling.
In the event that members of your birth family are located, we will be with you all the way. We can arrange a meeting with your family, and accompany you to that meeting if you wish. But likewise, if you don’t feel ready to take that next step, we will offer you all the advice and support you need.
In certain circumstances, we can also offer our specialist services to birth relatives. If your child was adopted through SFCS and we hold the records relating to their adoption, you can make a formal application to trace them through us, as long as they are over 18 and no restrictions have been placed on your contact.
You can find out more about the SFCS birth records counselling and family tracing service on our Building Connections page, including details of the support we can offer to adopted adults and birth families.
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