• Half (46%) of families with adopted children aged 13 to 25 say they are at crisis point or facing severe challenges, according to Adoption UK’s annual Adoption Barometer report
• Over half (58%) of adopted young adults accessed or attempted to access mental health services last year
• 23% of adopted 16 to 25-year-olds are not in education, employment or training (NEET), nearly double the UK average
• 16% of 13–18-year-olds have been drawn into criminally exploitative activity.

 

Half (46%) of families with adopted children aged 13 to 25 say they are at “crisis point” or “facing severe challenges” amid a lack of support according to new research from Adoption UK, the leading charity for those whose lives involve adoption. Parents of teens and young adults were twice as likely to say this than parents with younger children (23%).

For many adopted people, trauma experienced in early childhood, along with the loss of identity involved in being separated from their birth family, has lifelong implications for their wellbeing. 

Problems build when adopted children do not get the right foundations and consistent support over time. Many of the normal challenges faced by teenagers, such as grappling with their identity, relationships and mental health, are greatly heightened in children who have experienced trauma early in their lives. Only 9% of families with young adoptees aged 13+ are confident that services such as the NHS, education and housing have a good understanding of their children’s needs. There is limited specialist support for the particular challenges faced by adopted teens, such as reconnecting with birth family.

Over half (58%) of adopted young adults accessed or attempted to access mental health services last year, and 23% of adopted 16 to 25-year-olds are not in education, employment or training (NEET), nearly double the UK average, the research also shows. In addition, 16% of 13–18-year-olds have been drawn into criminally exploitative activity. 

Adult adoptee Angela said: “Growing up I was well provided for, but I’ve needed a lot of therapy. From the age of 8 or 9 I felt alienated from my adoptive family. My parents didn’t understand me at all and we didn’t get any support. The family broke down and I sought out people who I thought approved of me. But I ended up involved in drugs, suffered abuse and was drawn into forced criminality.

“I had my first therapy at the age of 21 for lack of self esteem, self destructive behaviour and feeling emotionally empty. I’ve had to work hard not to repeat the patterns of behaviour from my childhood with my own kids. Now I work with exploited young people. I’m hurt, but grateful to be where I am today. Adopted children need the right support from the start and throughout their childhoods, including specialist support for teens.”

Alexandra (not her real name) said: “Our children were adopted as babies and whilst things were never straightforward, nothing prepared us for the teenage years. Poor mental health, problems with drugs and alcohol, criminal exploitation and difficulties accessing education and training have made for extreme and relentless challenges.

“Our children need robust support in place from the start, and schools and all the professions that work alongside them need to be trained in trauma and attachment. Too often parents are not believed and when we try and advocate for better support, we are seen as annoying. We shouldn’t have to fight for the help that our children need and deserve.”

The figures come from Adoption UK’s fifth annual Adoption Barometer report, the most comprehensive stocktake of adoption in the UK. It surveyed nearly 3,000 adoptive families, prospective adopters and adopted people over 18. The report offers a rich picture of the impact of adoption policy and practice in the lives of adopted people and adopters across the UK.   

Emily Frith, Chief Executive Officer of Adoption UK, said: “This report shows that the challenges facing young adopted people remain as difficult as ever. It should be a wake-up call for governments and adoption professionals across the UK.

“Most adopted children have a very tough start in life, and many require specialist, therapeutic support into adulthood. We’re getting a lot of things right in the early stages of adoption, as shown in consistently positive feedback from adopters over five years of the Barometer. There is also good work underway by adoption agencies and charities to improve support for older children.

“But change is happening far too slowly, putting the futures of thousands of young people a year at risk. It’s time for urgent action from governments and the sector to give adopted people and adopters the support they have been calling for, for decades.”  

Adoption UK is calling for:

• Multi-disciplinary assessments for every child to be placed for adoption;
• Support plans that lay the foundations for good support from the start, and adapt as the child grows;
• Specialist adoption support services extended to at least age 26;
• Trauma-informed training and standards for health, education and criminal justice professionals, based on the latest neuroscience;
• Lifelong, psychological support for adopted people, whenever it’s needed.

 

The Adoption Barometer is a 140-page report covering all aspects of adoption. It is divided into sections covering Early Stages, Established Adoptive Families, Families with Older Children and Young People, and Adult Adoptees. It draws on a large survey of adopters and adoptees, and analysis of policy and practice relating to adoption. It includes specific analysis covering England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Read the full report