Changes over eight years of the Adoption Barometer: keeping in contact with birth relatives

UK-wide, around 80-85% of adoptive families will have agreements for indirect contact with one or more of their children’s birth relatives.  

Some children will also have direct contact – seeing or talking with their birth relatives face to face, or via video calling or messaging.  

Over eight years of the Adoption Barometer, we have seen a slow but steady increase in the number of adopted children having this sort of direct relationship with birth relatives, from 23% of adoptive families in 2018 to 33% in 2025. Much of this is taking place between adopted children and their siblings who live elsewhere. 

“[Our adoption agency] has delivered an excellent service in increasing contact between our adopted young person and their birth family. Highly trauma-informed and effective in meeting the needs of our young person in regard to their identity.” - Adoptive parent, England 

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