I was born in London and adopted through the National Children Adoption Association facilitated by Chase Farm Hospital and its staff.

I’m a transracial adoptee (TRA) who grew up in Somerset. I’m in reunion with my paternal side of my biological family, I chose non-contact with my maternal side. Both my birth parents died before I could meet them.

I have two children who feel the effects of adoption – particularly the gap in their medical records.

I was born and adopted in England in the late 1960s. I was in hospital with my mother for ten days, fostered locally with a family for a few weeks then placed with my adoptive family. My adoption took place when I was six months old.

My mother did not want to give me up but had no way to support both of us and thought I would ‘have a better life’ with another family. I knew I was adopted but never knew my origins or birth story, until she searched for me once it became legal.

I am in partial reunion with my birth family. I want adult adoptees to receive the services we need and deserve and I don’t want today’s children to be gaslit and inadequately supported.

I was born in January 1974 in Northampton, and spent 10 days with my mother, before being separated as a consequence of the forced adoption practices of the time. Then moved to a foster home. At 8 weeks old, my adoptive parents met me and took me back to their home in Birmingham.

I’ve always known I was adopted. As a child, I was deeply curious about my beginnings and my roots, which led me to search for my mother in my early 20s.

Luckily for me, she wanted to be found and we met in 2003, when I was 29. I met my father shortly afterwards. I am still in reunion with them both. I am passionate about advocating for adoptee rights and am proud to be a founding member of the Adult Adoptee Movement.

We hope to create a safe space here, for adoptees to feel seen, heard, and validated. 

I was born in London in 1968 and my adoption was facilitated by a private adoption agency. Although I was born in the UK and adopted domestically I am an Intercountry adoptee. My birth mother lived in the Middle East.

Concerns were raised by social services about the suitability of my adoptive mother but decided I should be adopted anyway. I grew up in a small town without any connections to people who looked like me. My appearance alienated and isolated me from others as I suffered a lot of racial abuse and questions about my origins were never discussed. I learnt about my adoption at the age of sixteen and I was treated with disdain when I asked for help to search for my birth mother.   

I have spent my entire adult life trying to search for my birth parents and connect with my cultural origins without any professional support. Being an intercountry adoptee means that I am excluded from accessing intermediary services, tracing agencies, and contact registers. Even tracing through DNA can be futile. I am left alone to navigate bureaucracy in a foreign country without any assistance from British officials. I do not belong here in the UK but I do not belong in my country of origin. A deep sense of loss and confusion about my identity has shadowed my entire existence. 

My mother died before I felt ready in my 50s to trace her. Through DNA testing and after a long, complicated, expensive search I am in reunion with my maternal sister and some paternal family, discovering my ethnicity and other information, including medical, that has been hugely helpful to me and my adult child.

I want lifelong support for adoptees and their children.

I was in the hospital for 8 days, in foster care for 5 weeks, and formally adopted at 6 months, via the local council.

My mother does not want contact, which has been tremendously hard.

I found my father through DNA testing but have not yet made contact.

I want a more honest and open discussion about adoption, and for the rights of children to be at the forefront.