The Law in Scotland
Find about major changes to the adoption process in Scotland

Campaigning in Scotland

Promoting the concerns and interests of adoptive families in Scotland


Links
Useful websites for adopters and prospective adopters in Scotland

Scotland

Adoption UK provides support to adopters and prospective adopters in Scotland through a dedicated office, based in Edinburgh. This page provides information on adoption and the kind of support we can provide for adopters in Scotland. Check out the left hand links for more information about adoption and Adoption UK in Scotland.

Most of the children placed are in the care of the local authority; however, children can also be placed from other authorities in Scotland or the rest of the UK, or from overseas.

No matter where the child you adopt is placed from you will have to be assessed by a local authority or voluntary adoption agency.

As well as accessing all of Adoption UK’s standard support services – our magazines, Online Community and PAL, members in Scotland can access the following:

  • Support groups run by experienced adoptive parents
  • A dedicated helpline
  • An adoption support coordinator to provide hands-on support and advocacy for families in Scotland
  • Training and seminars for parents
  • An Advisory Group for Scotland, to discuss adoption policy and practise
If you are based in Scotland and are interested in adopting a child you should contact your local authority to find out their procedures for placing children in your local area. Contact your local authority through our Find an Agency facility.

    Dedicated Helpline

    Dedicated support for Scotland is available from Adoption UK's Scottish Helpline from Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm by calling 0131 5555 111 (calls charged at standard UK rates).

    Outside these hours, from 1pm to 4pm, feel free to call Adoption UK's national helpline on 0844 848 7900 (calls charged at 3p per minute).

    Support groups

    We currently run support groups in the following areas:    

    • Argyll and Bute
    • Scottish Borders
    • Dumfries and Galloway
    • Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and surrounding areas
    • East Lothians
    • Glasgow, Clyde Coast and surrounding areas
    • North Lanarkshire
    • Paisley
    • Perth

    Groups are run by volunteer coordinators - adoptive parents who give their time to run support group meetings and provide advice, encouragement and support to adopters and prospective adopters.

    Training and support

    Adoption UK runs a range of popular training workshops, on issues from Understanding the Needs of the Child at Placement, to Parenting Adopted Teenagers and School and Education Issues. A highlight of 2009 has been a seminar with the acclaimed attachment therapist Dan Hughes, which ran in Falkirk in May.

    Workshops run regularly in Scotland, and details of up and coming workshops and events will appear here and in the Training section of the site.

      Advisory Group

      Adoption UK in Scotland is represented by the Scottish Advisory Group, a group of adoptive parents and practitioners with local knowledge who provide advice on adoption policy and practise issues.

      Their advice is used both to develop Adoption UK’s services for adopters and prospective adopters, and to respond to government.

      Contact the Adoption UK Scotland office to find out more about adoption in Scotland or to join your local support group.