List of Post-Adoption Support for Adoptive Families in Birmingham: 2026 Guide

Supporting your family after adoption is just as important as the journey to adoption itself. In Birmingham and the West Midlands, adoptive parents can access a comprehensive range of therapeutic, social, peer, educational and online support. This ranges from specialist local services to national communities, lived experience adoption blogs, podcasts and active social groups.

At Beacon Family Services, based in Birmingham, we offer free and fully funded therapeutic post-adoption support and resources for families and commissioning professionals. We are here for you, and we want you to feel as informed as possible about the range of post-adoption services near you. Read on for our comprehensive guide.

1. Beacon Family Services: Birmingham’s Therapeutic Play Support Hub

Beacon Family Services CIC is a cornerstone of post-adoption support in Birmingham, offering evidence-led, relationship-focused help for adoptive families. Our ethos is to work through the parent, rather than focusing solely on the child.

Explore everything we have to offer on our Post-Adoption and SGO support hub,

Therapeutic support & programmes: Group programmes such as Parenting with Theraplay® and the Just Right State Programme help adoptive parents and children build emotional wellbeing and stronger bonds while exploring emotional regulation in a safe environment led by qualified professionals. Support includes tplay-based therapy tailored to adoptive and kinship families.

Family therapy & peer support: Alongside professional therapeutic care, Beacon Family Services is actively involved in peer support groups. Walking with Families, facilitated by Al Coates MBE, is a Facebook community for adoptive parents facing child behavioural challenges including child-parent violence and aggression. He also hosts a support group for adoptive dads seeking connection.

Accessible local and online resources: Families can access FAQs, online advice, and community insights that are especially relevant for adoptive parents navigating life after placement and beyond. They can also access downloadable resources such as My Child is Not Fine at School: Adoptive / Kinship Carers Edition, a video by Dr. Naomi Fisher covering ways to navigate school challenges as an adoptive parent or carer.

Tip: Beacon Family Services programmes often fill up, so registering early for our range of free and fully funded programmes is recommended. You can typically register your interest for any programmes that are currently fully booked or have further dates yet to be confirmed.

Our post-adoption resources, events and programmes

VIDEO – My Child is Not Fine at School

APP – lumin&us® Kids Wellbeing

EXHIBITION – Eastside Projects

Birmingham Children’s Trust

Birmingham Children’s Trust provides statutory post-adoption services as part of its lifelong support commitment:

Personal Adoption Support Plans: Tailored plans created with adoptive families to identify needs and coordinate services.

Counselling & psychological support: Through the Adoption Support Fund, families can access therapeutic services if needed.

Advice & signposting: Support with financial advice, pupil premium access, contact arrangements with birth families and referrals to relevant services.

How to contact: Phone or email the Adoption Support Duty Line to discuss your family’s needs.

This is the main statutory pathway for Birmingham adopters to access funded support.

Adopt Birmingham

Adopt Birmingham operates a Post-Adoption Support Team that works closely with the Trust to assist families:

Therapeutic parenting training: Get guided support in evidence-based parenting approaches.

Counselling & professional guidance: Dedicated social workers offer information and tailored advice.

Birth family & letterbox contact support: Advice on maintaining safe, positive communication where needed.

Virtual resources & community access: Through CATCH and New Family Social networks, adopters can join online peer and learning communities.

National & Online Support Platforms

Even though they’re not Birmingham-specific, these national resources are widely used by adoptive families for ongoing support:

Peer Support & Community Websites

We Are Family Adoption
A peer-led adoptive parent community with forums, local meetups, social support groups, training and events.

Adoption UK community groups
Offers monthly virtual groups for adoptive parents and families across the UK.

Walking with Families
Facebook peer support group for adoptive parents living with childhood challenging, aggressive and violent behaviour (CCVAB)

Post-Adoption Podcasts & Blogs

We Made a Wish – This digital adoption and parenting magazine by adoptive mum Suzy Stanton shares experiences from all sides of the adoption triangle.

Adoption Shared Podcast – personal stories and insights from adopters.

Truth Be Told: Adoption Stories (Spotify) – Conversations about life after adoption.

These digital resources help adoptive families explore identity, past trauma, parenting and the real-life difficulties and joys of helping your child thrive.

Active Facebook Support Groups & Forums

Many adoptive parents find real-time support and community wisdom through Facebook groups:

Walking with Families – A support group for adoptive parents living with child-parent violence and aggression.

UK Adoption Support Group – Open to adoptive families and adult adoptees.

Adoption support for parents UK – A space for adoptive parents to share experience and advice.

UK (CHILD) Adoption Support Group – Community for parents at all stages of adoption.

Single Adopters Network UK – Focused support for single adoptive parents.

Foster and Adoptive Parents Support Group – A broader group for sharing tips and challenges.

These groups can be especially valuable for peer-to-peer support, sharing experiences and insights related to schooling, behaviour, identity and wellbeing.

Bonus Support & Forums

While not adoption-specific, general parenting communities like Netmums include forums where adoptive families often connect over local events and childcare tips.

Local post-adoption support in Birmingham

Our Place Support, Sutton Coldfield – This community hub is not specific to post-adoption support, but adoptive families receiving therapeutic support from Beacon Family Services have found it immensely useful in a variety of ways. Their Advice Service supports individuals and families with practical guidance on life’s challenges, and their Mentoring Scheme offers targeted support for children and young people, address social, emotional, and mental health challenges through tailored one-to-one sessions and group interventions. Families from all over Birmingham come to Our Place Support for their mentoring scheme, as it is not readily available elsewhere in Birmingham.

Final Tips for Birmingham Adoptive Families

Mix professional support with peer communities: Therapeutic help from Beacon or Birmingham Children’s Trust combined with emotional peer support often works best.

Explore online podcasts & blogs for ongoing encouragement and real-life perspectives.

Connect locally: Facebook groups often organise meet-ups, informal chats and resource sharing that help reduce isolation.

Support for parents

If you or someone you know is struggling with family relationships, Beacon Family Services can help. We provide a range of therapies and resources to support parents, children and families.

For further support, and to see our latest parent events and services, please visit the Families hub for all families, or our Adoptive Parents hub where you’ll find peer support, school strategies, play-based therapeutic services and much more.

You can also explore our resources for instant support and read further insights and tips from qualified therapists and professionals on our blog. In addition, you can try the lumin&us® app for parent/child connection.