Adopteens is run by PAC-UK, Family Action’s adoption support agency. In Part 1 of this story Molly shared what it had meant to her to be part of that group through a difficult time in her life. Here, she shares how the group developed bespoke training to help other young people in schools across the country.
You can’t teach adoption in an academic sense… It’s not maths – it’s not 2+2. Everybody has different feelings and understandings about the topic, and we try and recreate that nuance for people.
We did an educational film for schools which I felt was really important. The finished video was beautiful, and when I watched it, I was sobbing.
The one-day immersive training programme we’ve designed to help social workers is called Adopt a Change. We had a worker in the room that would advise us, but it was essentially just us, which takes a level of cooperation you can’t really do without the grassroots friendships we’d built over the years.
The workshops were designed to replicate the experience of how it feels to be adopted.
We do lots of roleplay in the workshops. We make people move to a different seat when a bell goes off to create dysregulation. We get them to fill out information about things like how many siblings they have and where their family are from – it’s around 21 questions and most people can answer about 15 or above – when we tell them we average about 5 their jaws drop.
Experiencing that, they gain a better understanding the next time an adopted person tells them they feel annoyed. They can tap into that feeling they had for a split second. It works so well and it’s such a powerful piece of work.
I always got very giddy when new people started doing that work with us, and it was always so special to have people join us. It is a lot to ask of people when you’re also in the thick of being a teenager at school… But I think the offer of free food is very tempting! Every meeting has pizza and if you eat enough you can make your value back!
It is a privileged position to hold, with front‑row access to what it means to be adopted in 2026, and I do not take that lightly or for granted.
About Adopteens
Adopteens is a pioneering service for adopted teenagers across Yorkshire & Humber – created by adopted young people, for adopted young people. Launched in response to a large-scale consultation, The Big Consult, Adopteens was designed to give adopted teenagers a safe space to connect, share experiences, and influence change.
Over the past decade, the service has grown into a vibrant community that not only reduces isolation but also amplifies youth voices in shaping adoption practice across the UK.
