PAC-UK

24/07/2026

NEW: Revolving Doors and Birbeck College, University Of London research publication:

(Mis)trusting Justice? Personal stories of legal proceedings in the family and criminal courts

We are pleased to have supported with this important research - read the full report here:

https://revolving-doors.org.uk/publications/mistrusting-justice-personal-stories-of-legal-proceedings-in-the-family-and-criminal-courts/

Family Action One Adoption Adoption Counts Adoption Now Together for Adoption Adoption in Merseyside Adopt London UK Coram Adoption West

Mistrust is endemic in the justice system, claims Lived Experience of the Law, a new report based on 131 in-depth interviews with people who have been through the family and/or criminal courts, and co-produced by a team of qualified peer researchers with their own experience of the courts and...

23/07/2026

Adoption England has published its 2025–26 Impact Report, highlighting the progress and key achievements from the programmes and services it has commissioned.

We're proud that Family Action PAC-UK is highlighted in the report for the services we deliver on behalf of Adoption England, strengthening adoption support and helping to ensure the voices of people with lived experience remain at the heart of service development.

Read the full report here:
https://www.adoptionengland.co.uk/news/adoption-england-launches-its-202526-annual-report

02/07/2026

PAC-UK, Family Action’s adoption support agency, responds to Government’s apology

PAC-UK knows that the practice of forced adoption decades ago has had a lifelong impact on so many people affected by adoption, particularly birth mothers and fathers and their children but many others too. While a formal apology from the UK government is important and is what many of those affected have waited for decades to hear and see, we also understand that it is not enough in itself to right all the wrongs of the past.

PAC-UK therefore welcomes the newly announced additional funding for trauma-informed and adoption specialist support and services, including our FamilyConnect service. These can help people to navigate, and, wherever possible, heal and rebuild as many of these fractured relationships as possible, before it is too late. PAC-UK is pleased to have been asked to help deliver this specialist support and services – what an honour for us but what a responsibility too.

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02/07/2026

House of Commons - Forced Adoptions Statement

Coverage of the statement in the House of Commons by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer apologising for the role of the British state in forced adoptions, where an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from their mothers in the three decades after the Second World War:

TODAY Thursday 2 July from 11.30am:

Statement by Keir Starmer apologising for the British state's role in forced adoptions.

18/06/2026

PAC-UK response to Church of England formal apology for historical adoption practices

The devastating practice of forced adoption decades ago has had a lifelong impact on so many people affected by adoption, particularly birth mothers and fathers and their children, but many others too.

While formal apologies from the Government, the Church of England, and all the other organisations involved in these practices is what many of those affected have waited a lifetime to hear, they are not enough in themselves to right the wrongs of the past.

These apologies will also reopen wounds and be retraumatising for many. This is why there needs to be specialist support available to help people to navigate the continuing impacts of forced adoption today and in the future.

If you have been impacted by historic adoption practices, please reach out to PAC-UK for support and advice:

National PAC-UK Advice Line

Our National PAC-UK Advice Line provides independent, confidential advice and information for people affected by adoption, special guardianship and other forms of permanent care. The service is staffed by qualified and experienced PAC-UK counsellors and social workers with specialist expertise in these areas.

Website: www.family-action.org.uk/pac-uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0300 1800 090

FamilyConnect Advice Line

Delivered by Family Action's adoption support agency PAC-UK, FamilyConnect provides information, support and guidance on tracing and reconnecting with family members, the services available, and whether you may be eligible for funding.

Website: www.familyconnect.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0300 1800 205

https://family-action.org.uk/news-insight/our-response-church-of-england-apologises-for-role-in-post-war-historical-adoption-practices/

PAC-UK, Family Action’s adoption support agency, responds to Church of England’s apology for role in post-war historical adoption practices.

02/06/2026

The University of Manchester research participation request:

Tell us what matters most in adoption research!

Are you an adopted person? A friend or family member of someone who is? Or a professional with adoption expertise?

Help decide future priorities for adoption research in this 15-minute survey, developed with adopted people. You’ll be entered into a £100 prize draw.

www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_01a26aEWIuhUozI

26/05/2026

Estranged young people have no support from their families or recognition from the government.

We are calling on the Government to:
➡️Legally Define: Adopt a statutory definition of estrangement.
➡️Provide Equal Rights: Give estranged young people the same statutory support entitlements as care leavers.
➡️Streamline Evidence: Create a unified verification process for estrangement to stop retraumatising estranged young people

📝Sign the letter: https://bit.ly/DearKeir
🗞️Read the report: https://buttleuk.org/news/no-easy-path-the-realities-of-lgbtq-young-people-estranged-from-their-families/

This research wouldn't have been possible without funding from the George Michael Fund via the Talent Fund

06/03/2026

PAC-UK achieves fifth consecutive ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating

Family Action's adoption support agency, PAC-UK, has once again been rated Outstanding by Ofsted, marking an unprecedented fifth consecutive Outstanding inspection. PAC-UK remains the only adoption support agency (ASA) in England to achieve this milestone.

Read the full press release incl. link to inspection report here:

Family Action’s adoption support agency, PAC-UK, has received an unprecedented fifth consecutive Outstanding Ofsted rating.

13/02/2026

Final Spaces: New & Innovative PAC-UK CPD Training

Working with Adopted Adults in Counselling Practice

📅 Dates: 24 & 25 March 2026
🕤 Time: 9.30am – 5.00pm (both days)
📍 Location: Family Action Head Office, London, N1 7GR
💷 Cost: £250 + VAT (£300 total)
🎟️ Secure Your Place Today – Spaces Are Limited!

👉 www.family-action.org.uk/events/working-with-adopted-adults-in-counselling-practice

21/01/2026

We are sharing this on behalf of Researcher Nick Burke who has been creating an Adoptee Quality of Life Survey in conjunction with Sheffield university and funded by the National institute of Health and Care Research.
This Survey has been co-designed from the start with adopted adults and adopted young people shaping the questions and content.

It is hoped this survey will replace standard evaluation measures for adopted people such as Strength and Difficulties questionnaires – which do not take into context the specific circumstances of adoption, giving a much more accurate measure for the impact of support and services.

Nick Burke is now looking for people to complete the survey to get an understanding of Adoptees Quality Life in England at this current time. Adoptee quality of life - Adoptee survey http://bit.ly/3XAtmIr

Note from Nick Burke for those aged 25 and over
“Although the specific age group I am looking at is 16-25, the contributions of older adoptees have been really important to this project. The age range includes young adults, but the hindsight, and life experiences of adoptees older than that really helped us set and understand the themes. Although the specific questions are based on things that 16-25-year-olds thought it was important to ask, the wording and subjects of those questions were also shaped by experiences and views shared by adoptees including those over 25, birth family members and adopters.”

If you are over 25 – please state that you fit in that age category and complete the survey – there is a box at the end for any additional info where you can add your age.

Please read the information carefully there is more information here Adoptee quality of life https://sites.google.com/sheffield.ac.uk/adoptee-quality-of-life/about?authuser=0– some of the questions may be difficult to answer depending on your situation, so do take care – the survey is optional as are all the questions.

If you have any further questions – please contact Nick Burke [email protected]