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Walk Together
Walk Together focuses entirely on adoption in the UK, supporting mothers, fathers, children, and anyone connected to the adoption journey. We understand that adoption can be emotional, complex, rewarding, and challenging all at once, and our aim is to create a space where every part of that experience is acknowledged.
We publish weekly blogs covering everything and anything to do with adoption: family life, identity, attachment, school, trauma, birth family contact, and the realities of parenting before, during, and after adoption. If there’s a topic you’d love us to explore or an area where you feel more guidance is needed, please get in touch. We’d be very happy to add your ideas to our content plan.
Adoption doesn't end at 18: navigating identity, relationships and belonging as an adult adoptee
For many adult adoptees, the question of birth family becomes more pressing as they move through adulthood. Legislation in England and Wales provides adoptees over 18 with certain rights of access to information, including access to original birth certificates and, in many cases, support from adoption agencies in tracing birth relatives (Department for Education, 2011). These rights represent a significant shift from earlier eras of closed adoption in which information was ro
May 159 min read
For the dads: the adoptive father's experience nobody talks about
The adoption system, in its current form, was built with a particular family shape in mind. It has evolved considerably, and continues to do so, but many of its assessment tools, preparation materials, and support frameworks still carry implicit assumptions about gender roles in parenting
May 19 min read
Mother's Day, birthdays and the dates nobody warns you about: supporting your adopted child through emotionally loaded calendar moments
For most children, the passage of time through the year is marked by anticipation and celebration: birthdays, holidays, Christmas, the changing of seasons.
Apr 248 min read
Advocating without exhausting yourself | A guide for adoptive parents in the UK to avoid burnout
Recognising burnout is not weakness. It is information. It is your nervous system communicating clearly that the current approach is not sustainable, and that something needs to change. Not necessarily something enormous. Sometimes it is one small thing: one conversation, one boundary, one person who finally really hears you. But it has to start with being honest about where you actually are.
Apr 1710 min read
The family you imagined and the family you have | navigating the gap between expectation and reality in adoption
The reality can include a child who cannot tolerate physical affection, or who seeks it indiscriminately from strangers while pushing away the parent who is trying hardest to offer it. It can include years of broken sleep, of hypervigilance that fills the house like weather, of mealtimes that are battlegrounds, of a child who is charming and engaged with everyone outside the home and unreachable inside it.
Apr 108 min read
When the scrutiny doesn't stop | adoptive parents and the weight of social worker expectations
Many adoptive parents also report feeling held to a standard of parenting that goes beyond what would ever be expected of a birth parent. The implication, sometimes explicit and sometimes not, is that because you chose this, because you were assessed and approved and matched, you should be able to manage whatever arises. The reality, of course, is that no amount of preparation fully equips a person for the lived experience of parenting a child with complex developmental traum
Apr 35 min read
From effort to ease: How regulation changes across development
A young child might become dysregulated by background noise, hunger, waiting their turn, or moving between activities. Transitions that seem minor to adults can require significant effort from a child whose regulatory systems are still developing. When that effort builds without enough support, the child’s capacity is quickly exceeded, and distress shows itself in ways that can look disproportionate to the situation.
Feb 138 min read
Talking about adoption without turning it into “the talk”
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that adoption conversations do not succeed or fail based on wording alone. They are shaped by relationship, consistency, and emotional safety.
Dec 26, 20257 min read
Top ten myths about adoption that still need to be challenged
Adoption attracts opinions. Ask ten people what they think adoption is like, and you will often hear the same phrases repeated: reassuring, simple and usually wrong.
Dec 14, 20257 min read
It takes a village: How extended relatives can nurture adopted children
Being part of an adoptive family isn’t about walking on eggshells or memorising rules. It’s about understanding that every interaction you have - every calm hello, every kept promise - becomes part of how a child learns to feel safe.
Oct 17, 20257 min read
Adoption advice for supporting your child’s questions about their past
This blog is not about life story tools or theory. Instead, it is about the everyday reality of adoption: the conversations that happen in real time, when a child looks you in the eye and asks something you may not be ready for. Here, we share practical adoption advice grounded in the experiences of UK families, what has worked for them, what they wish they had known earlier, and how you can prepare yourself to respond with honesty and care.
Sep 19, 20254 min read
How adoptive parents can talk about difficult or unknown parts of their child’s story
This article offers adoptive parent advice grounded in developmental psychology, attachment theory, and trauma-informed research. Rather than broad suggestions, you will find concrete, emotionally safe strategies to use when creating or revisiting a life book with your child. These approaches help children process emotions, ask questions, and hold uncertainty, while strengthening their relationship with you as their adoptive parent.
Sep 12, 20256 min read
Adoption in books and stories: The power of written representation
In this blog, we explore how adoption is portrayed across books and stories, both where it falls short and where it shines. We look at common themes and tropes, reflect on how these can affect children’s self-image, and share a recommended reading list to help families find books that affirm adopted children’s experiences.
Aug 29, 20256 min read
Adoption on screen: What cinema gets wrong (and why it matters)
In this blog, we explore how adoption is portrayed in popular films - from the negative tropes that persist in cinema to the rare but valuable stories that get it right.
Aug 22, 20259 min read
Supporting young children through contact: A calm and informed approach
For adoptive parents, few things feel as delicate or as loaded as helping a young child navigate contact with their birth family. It is not just about managing logistics or following what was agreed in a contact plan. It is about guiding a child through something they can feel but may not yet fully understand.
Jul 25, 202510 min read
The risks and benefits of direct contact for adopted children
This blog attempts to offer some clarity on the risks and rewards of direct contact. We explore what direct contact really means, when it can help, where it can be harmful, and how to make informed, child-focused decisions that reflect both emotional wellbeing and long-term development.
Jul 18, 20256 min read
Supporting siblings in adoption: Helping brothers and sisters navigate change
Sibling relationships are among the longest-lasting in a person’s life.
Apr 18, 202510 min read
Adoption and the LGBTQ+ community | Building families beyond traditional norms
This blog explores the journey of LGBTQ+ adoption, from historical challenges to modern-day progress.
Mar 1, 20255 min read
Embracing your Journey: Navigating Identity and Healing
To those grappling with identity issues as adoptees, this blog seeks to offer more than just sympathy—it's about providing clear, empathetic
Dec 1, 20237 min read
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