Tracing Support for Birth Relatives and Adopted Adults
Tracing and contacting birth relatives
You may be thinking about tracing or contacting birth relatives, or you may simply want to find out what options are available to you.
Norfolk Adoption Service can provide advice and guidance to help you consider your options and decide what feels right for you.
FamilyConnect
FamilyConnect is run by PAC-UK and funded by Adoption England. They provide support for adopted adults and birth families, including:
- advice about adoption
- support with making contact
- intermediary services for people adopted before 1976
Find out more:
Intermediary services
There are several organisations that provide intermediary services.
We recommend using an intermediary service that is inspected by Ofsted.
Most intermediary services charge a fee. If you were born in 1976 or earlier, funding may be available to help cover these costs.
Searching independently
Some people choose to search for information themselves. The organisations below may be helpful.
Please note that Norfolk Adoption Service does not recommend or endorse any particular service and cannot guarantee the information they provide.
General Register Office (GRO)
The General Register Office holds birth, marriage and death records. It also manages the Adoption Contact Register, where adopted people and birth relatives can record their wishes about contact.
Adoption Search and Reunion
Provides information about searching for and contacting birth relatives.
Family history and tracing websites
Some people find family history websites helpful when researching their family background.
- 192.com (subscription fees apply)
- https://www.findmypast.co.uk (subscription fees apply)
Support is available
Everyone's experience of adoption is different. You may be looking for information about your background, considering contact with birth relatives, or exploring your options for the future.
If you would like advice or support, Norfolk Adoption Service is here to help.
Accessibility note: I'd avoid "Useful Resources for Searching" as a heading because it is vague. "Searching independently" is clearer and works better for screen readers and people scanning the page. I would also use descriptive link text rather than "Welcome to FamilyConnect - FamilyConnect" or displaying the full URL.
