Part of Family Action since 2018, PAC-UK (PAC) supports people through the realities of adoption and special guardianship. Formerly ‘Post Adoption Centre’, the PAC team provides specialist, trauma-informed support for birth parents and adopted people, as well as adoptive families and those who have experienced state care systems.
We support birth parents and adopted people, whose voices and needs have historically been marginalised.
We believe that no-one should have to be alone to face the grief and loss of losing a child to adoption or losing your first family, at whatever age or stage of life. Group work, counselling and letterbox writing helps birth parents process trauma, perhaps for the first time, and we support special contact meetings between adopters and special guardians to enable parents to understand who will be looking after their child. We support everyone involved in managing what can be a difficult and emotional process, with children at its heart.
Being adopted or placed in another family as a child can bring challenges that last into adulthood. We support adopted young people to understand and process their emotions and make their voices are heard. We’re here to help adoptive families with the often tough realities of adopting that are too little spoken of – whether it’s the challenge of transition and settling or the crisis of child to parent violence.
Dealing with the impacts of adoption is a life-long journey for first families, guardians, adopters and adopted people, and we know how hard it can be. Many of the services we offer, including our training for professionals are co-designed, co-produced and co-delivered, so that they best reflect and meet the needs of those with lived experience.
Through our helplines, specialist counselling, group support and training we’re here for that journey. A dedicated, experienced, Ofsted-Outstanding rated team of professionals, skilled at creative problem solving, we don’t give up on people. If we can’t support you, we’ll help you find someone who can.
PAC Services
Adopted adults & young people support
Specialist, impartial support for those adopted as children or otherwise permanently placed.
Adopted Adults & Young People Service
Birth parents & relatives support
Support for birth parents and relatives whose children have been adopted or may be.
Birth Parents & Relatives Service
Child to parent violence support
Supporting adoptive parents and carers to reduce child to parent violence.
Child to Parent Violence Service
Special guardianship support
Providing specialist support, information and guidance for special guardians and the children in their care.
Special Guardianship Support Service
FamilyConnect and intermediary support
Supporting adults who were adopted to find out more about their origins and search for other birth family members.
FamilyConnect & Intermediary Service
Training & consultation service
Comprehensive training for professionals working in adoption and permanency, adoptive parents and carers.
Training & Consultation Service
