A list of useful websites related to adoption, search and reunion.
The Finding an agency to help you database on this website lets you search for agencies in England and Wales that can help you with your search for adoption records, provide counselling and advice on tracing and making contact with birth or adoptive relatives, and act as intermediaries on your behalf.
The agencies listed in this section are not included on the Finding an agency to help you database, either because they are not registered as Adoption Support Agencies, or are based in Scotland or Northern Ireland, but still offer valuable information, advice and support to people affected by adoption.
- Adoption UK - a national self-help group run by and for adoptive parents and foster carers, offering support before, during and after adoption.
- Birthlink - offers a range of services for people separated by adoption with a Scottish connection.
- Family Connect - Family Action’s FamilyConnect website helps people explore the issues around accessing birth and care records, and provides information, guidance, support and signposting.
- Intercountry Adoption Centre - a source of information and advice on intercountry adoption issues, for both adopters and adoption professionals.
- Scotland Adoption Support Service - a post adoption service offering advice, support and counselling to everyone affected by adoption.
- Natural Parents Network - a self help organisation, which offers support to natural parents and relataives who have lost children to adoption.
- Transnational and Transracial Adoption Group - aims to offer support and provide a collective national voice to adoptees adopted into families whose racial and cultural heritage is different from theirs.
This is a list of tracing services know to BAAF and does not necessarily constitute a recommendation.
- Adoption Services for Adults - A private intermediary, registered with Ofsted to both search and make contact.
- Ariel Bruce - Private tracing agency registered under Adoption Support regulations. Can provide both tracing and intermediary services.
- Birthlink - Operates Scotland's Adoption Contact Register and also provides services for people separated by adoption where there is a Scottish connection.
- Born to Be Found (Gina Gingell) - an independent research company working on behalf of many local authorities and after adoption support agencies aiming to trace adopted adults and birth relatives.
- CMB Counselling - Experienced adoption counsellor offering a range of services to adopted adults and others affected by adoption.
- Families-in-Time - Tracing service only offered by Jeanette King, a genealogist and qualified post-adoption counsellor, who has been tracing birth relatives since 1986. She does not provide intermediary services.
- Historical Research Associates - Joan and Jennifer offer a tracing service for Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. They are not registered to offer an intermediary service.
- Kathy Wilshaw - An experienced ex-Norcap researcher who offers tracing services only. Not registered to offer an intermediary service.
- Family Tracing and Location Service (FTLS) - an experienced ex-Norcap researcher who offers tracing services only. Not registered to offer an intermediary service.
The following websites provide links to useful sources of records and resources and information on family research. Please note that some of these websites also provide research and tracing services on a fee-paying or subscription basis. Inclusion in this list does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation by us.
- Ancestry - Provides access to the complete set of indexes for the census from 1841 to 1901 for England and Wales, to records of baptisms, marriages and burials in 1,000 London parishes from the 16th Century, as well as other data sets. Provides a number of subscription and pay as you go services.
- Cyndi's List - Lists many useful genealogical sites available on the internet, including a section on adoption.
- Family Research - News and articles on English, Scottish and Irish genealogy.
- Genuki - A collection of genealogical information for England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
- National Archives - The website for UK government´s official archive, which includes information about family history and links to resources including the A2A database and ARCHON directory.
- National Archives of Scotland - The website of the Scottish Executive's official archive, which includes information about family trees and access to adoption records.
- Scotland's People - The official online source of parish register, civil registration, census and wills & testaments records for Scotland.