PAC-UK

PAC-UK is the country’s largest independent Adoption Support Agency. From offices in London and Leeds we reach out to families and professionals from the Scottish borders to the south coast.
Our vision is that all those affected by adoption, Special Guardianship and other forms of permanent care are supported and enabled to live their lives to the full. We have built our expertise over a 30 year period, starting out as Post-Adoption Centre in 1986. In recent years we have combined with other specialist providers – After Adoption Yorkshire (AAY) and Adoption UK – to produce a more robust organisation with a wider reach and a more comprehensive range of services.
Entering adoption, Special Guardianship or another permanent placement is an important step forward in a child’s life. At PAC-UK we understand that this is the beginning of a life-long journey, not just for the child, but also for the adoptive/permanent care family and the birth family left behind. Our support extends to all these groups, and includes adults adopted as children who continue to find difficulties arising on their own life journey. We also offer advice to professionals working with these families in different contexts – in particular adoption social workers, school teachers and virtual school staff.
We offer the following key services:
• Advice Line staffed by qualified and experienced PAC-UK counsellors who can provide advice and information on all aspects of adoption and other forms of permanent care;
• Peer Advice Line staffed by experienced adopters offering understanding, a listening ear and signposting to further services;
• An Adult Counselling and Intermediary Service accessible to adopted/permanently placed people, adopters/permanent carers and those working towards this; birth family members; professionals;
• A Child and Family Service offering support, counselling and therapy to adoptive families or those with a permanently placed child, including Special Guardians and Kinship Carers;
• An Education Service working with children, parents and schools to improve the educational experience of adopted/permanently-placed children;
• A First Family Service for Birth Parents and Birth Relatives providing a range of advice, counselling and groups for birth parents and other birth relatives;
• A Peer-to-Peer Parent Consultant Service being delivered within our joint partnership with Adoption UK;
• A range of Support Groups for Birth Parents and Adoptive Parents (all groups are informal, confidential and free of charge);
• A Training Service offering a comprehensive training programme focussing on topics specific to adoption and permanent placement. Some of these workshops and seminars are for professionals only, and some are specifically for parents and carers.

Our services are for all people affected by adoption and permanency.