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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

The point at which many couples seek support is later than it should be - when the strain has become chronic, when the contempt has hardened, when one or both partners has begun to consider whether the relationship is viable. Earlier intervention is more effective, and the threshold for reaching out should be lower than it typically is.

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