Parents of teenagers and young adults (Northern Ireland) Confidence in the provision of support services for adopted teenagers and young adults remains very low and most parents do not believe that their 16-25-year-olds are getting the support they need. Many respondents commented on the cliff edge young people face when turning 18 and aging out of support aimed at children and families. While one third of adopted 13-18-year-olds had informal direct contact with a birth relative in 2025, only 30% of parents said they felt prepared for this possibility, highlighting the need to ensure more is done to equip families to navigate this potentially sensitive area. Statement UK-Wide Northern Ireland I feel well prepared as a parent for the possibility of direct contact during the teen years. 27% 30%* I feel confident that appropriate support is available from adoption support services for teens and young adults and their families. 19% 19% I feel confident that other statutory services (e.g. mental health, housing, education) have a good understanding of the needs of adopted young people. 11% 10% My young adult child is getting the support they need from statutory services. 28% 14%* My young adult child is in education, employment or training. 69% 84% * fewer than 20 respondents were eligible to answer the relevant question What is going well? “University application forms asking about care experience.” “A youth worker providing direct 1:1 support for our child.” What could be improved? “There is no core adoption support that I know of available post 18 and I am not sure that adult mental health services totally appreciate the impact of developmental trauma on young adoptees.” “Support for adoptive parents and children is good when the children are under 16 but fades quickly as they are older and disappears when they are assumed to be adults due to being over 18.” Back to Northern Ireland overview Manage Cookie Preferences