PAC-UK Services for Birth Parents & Relatives

Specialist, impartial support for birth parents and relatives whose children have been adopted or may be.

Areas we serve England
Who can access this service Birth parents and relatives across England. Contact our Advice Line to find out what support is available in your area.
Availability Self-referral
Professional referrals
Open access
Access this service within this local area

PAC-UK Services for Birth Parents & Relatives

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About this service

Losing a child or relative to adoption can be traumatic. We’re here to support birth mums, dads and other family members through this experience with face-to-face and telephone counselling, support groups and our First Family service. We can also support birth relatives of adults adopted as children to explore contacting through our intermediary services.
Email us direct or contact our PAC-UK Advice Line for more information on support in your area and any associated fees where applicable.

More Information

We provide a wide range of services around the country to support birth mums and dads as well as other family members. Contact our Advice Line to find out what support is available in your area. 

PAC-UK Advice Line 

Our advice line can help you get the support you need in your area. 

Telephone: 0300 1800 090 

Email: [email protected]  

Open: Mon, Tue and Fri 10am – 4pm, Wed and Thu 10am – 7.30pm (except bank holidays) 

First Family service 

If your child is no longer with you or is there a chance this may happen we offer free advice and support for birth mums, dads and other relatives.  

We know how traumatic losing a child can be. We know that you will always be family to your child and relatives. We aim to help you improve the outcome for any future children you may have.  

Our First Family service can:  

  • Listen to your story and how you are feeling about your child’s adoption.  
  • Explain the often confusing process of adoption and what that means for you and your child, now and in the future.  
  • Help write a letterbox letter. Most people find the first one particularly difficult.  
  • Help you to write a letter for your child or relative for when they are older explaining your story, what happened and how you feel about it.  
  • Let you know how other parents like yourself feel and that you are not alone.  
  • Meet with you in a convenient place and discuss what is most helpful to you. What you say is confidential.  
  • Help you connect with others through friendly in-person support groups in some areas and online. 

Contact our First Family Action Line to find out more. 

Telephone: 07975 846 249 

Text: 07975 846 249 

Email: [email protected]  

Face to face and telephone counselling 

Our team of trained counsellors are here to support you through your experience of losing a family member to adoption. We can usually provide up to six sessions with the first session focusing on assessing your needs together with you. If you would prefer your counsellor to be a particular gender or ethnicity, we will try our best to accommodate this to help you feel as comfortable as possible.  

Contact our PAC-UK Advice Line to find out more. 

 

Support groups  

Connecting with others can be a great way to process some of your experience and help you feel like you are not alone. We host a range of different support groups for birth parents. All are informal, confidential and free. 

Contact our PAC-UK Advice Line to find out more.  

Private intermediary services for birth relatives of adults adopted as children 

If you’re thinking of making contact with adult birth relatives who were adopted as children, our private intermediary services can support you through this process with specialist advice and guidance. We’re also able to support the person approached who may not feel able to confide in anyone else. We can:  

  • Trace who you are trying to find and make the first contact on your behalf  
  • Negotiate an outcome that balances your needs and those of others involved  
  • Where contact is wanted, support all parties through the initial stages  
  • Offer specialist guidance throughout based on years of experience  
  • Provide support where contact is not wanted and discuss ‘what next’ 

If you’re thinking about tracing a birth relative and would like to receive an intermediary service, find out more on our FamilyConnect website, complete our expression of interest form or contact our FamilyConnect Advice Line. 

Need different support?

Whatever issues you or your family face, we are here to help. If this service isn’t right for you, you can find a different service, contact our helpline, FamilyLine or browse our self-help articles to find the right support for you.

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Call, text, email or web chat FamilyLine

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, worried or upset about any aspect of your family life, FamilyLine is here for you. We offer free emotional support and guidance on family relationships, conflict, parenting, caring, financial worries and more.

Contact FamilyLine