About St. Margaret’s
Our story
About St Margaret’s
St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society is a registered charity and voluntary adoption agency in Scotland. The organisation traces its origins to 1955, giving it over 70 years of experience in providing high-quality services and support to children, adults and families affected by adoption.
St Margaret’s was originally established as St Margaret’s Adoption Society, a charitable organisation founded under the auspices of the Catholic Church to find permanent, loving homes for children and to support adoptive families. Over the decades, the Society developed a strong reputation for excellence in adoption practice and child-centred care.
On 22 January 1999, St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and registered charity. The new organisation assumed responsibility for the archives, records and legacy of the former St Margaret’s Adoption Society, preserving its rich heritage and longstanding commitment to children and families.
While building upon the values and expertise of its predecessor, St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society was established as a distinct organisation designed to respond to the evolving needs of children, young people and families in modern Scotland. Adoption remained at the heart of its work, but the Society broadened its remit to develop services that support family life, promote child wellbeing and address the complex challenges faced by contemporary families.
Today, St Margaret’s continues to combine its historic commitment to adoption with a wider range of family support services, ensuring that it remains responsive, innovative and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for children and families across Scotland.
25+
Employees
Supporting Children and Families Adoptions since 1955.
How it all started
Founded in 1955, St Margaret’s is widely recognised as a sector leading agency in the UK. Our history shows how we have grown from our humble beginnings.
History
St Margaret’s Adoption Society was set up by the Catholic Church under the auspices of a benevolent/friendly organisation. This was the legal vehicle to operate charities, and approval was granted by the then Town Council in 1955. The constitution was relatively simple in stating that the business of the Society was to find homes for children and assist adoptive parents. The Trustees included the Archbishop of Glasgow and the Bishops of Motherwell, Paisley and Galloway, with support being provided from the Dioceses.
The premises at 274 Bath Street originally consisted of one flat which was provided by the Church and business commenced. The Society, due to legislative changes, became a Limited Company in 1982.
The fundamental aims did not alter but the complexity and scope of it did. It was decided that the Society should widen its scope, thus St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society was set up. This has allowed the Society to offer further services and initiatives, strengthening the impact of St Margaret’s on our community over the years.
Due to expansion it became necessary to secure larger premises and in November 2013 our new St Margaret’s Centre For The Family was opened by Archbishop Tartaglia at 26 Newton Place, Glasgow.
The outstanding feature of St Margaret’s is that it has evolved into a family of its own. Our “annual gatherings” every Summer demonstrate the wonderful spirit of family, and the care for each other is heartening for all, especially for staff who bring a strong vocational dimension to what they do.
As a registered adoption agency St Margaret’s has an established reputation for excellent practice in the field of adoption. This has been recognised by the Scottish Government and is reflected in our recent Care Inspectorate report.
How we have developed
Over the years, adoption has changed significantly. Historically the majority of our children were babies who were placed for adoption by their birth parents, often unmarried mothers. Today there are very few babies being placed for adoption.
These days the majority of our children are looking for an adoptive family who can provide them with the safety, protection and nurturing that they need. Often these children have been exposed to neglect and abuse. They may have been living in birth families with a history of substance misuse, domestic violence or mental health difficulties or lived with parents who have simply not been equipped to meet their needs. Because of this, the children will most likely have been living in foster care prior to being adopted.
Research now tells us that this exposure to trauma in early childhood can often have a significant and long lasting impact on a child’s development and their ability to function alongside their peers.
Over the years we have developed our services in response to the needs of our children and their families. The level of support that we offer our families has been widely recognised to be of a particularly high standard. This is evident from the feedback from the families themselves as well as other bodies such as the Scottish Government and the Care Inspectorate.
As well as our Adoption Society, we are also delighted to offer further supports in the form of our Education Services and our Therapy Centre.
Services for Adopted Adults (Origins Services)
Service for Adopted Adults
The effects of adoption are life changing and life-long. We look to provide a support service to anyone who has been adopted through St Margaret’s, regardless of how long ago this may have been.
Having been in existence since 1955, many of the people who have been adopted through St Margaret’s are now in adulthood. For many, at the time they were adopted little information was given regarding their birth family or the reasons for their adoption. As an adopted adult you may have unanswered questions about your adoption. Certainly the recent increase in TV programmes related to adoption has caused many adopted people to become curious about their history. For some people this may be as simple as accessing their records and for others it may be a case of wishing to make contact with their birth family.
We offer a free and confidential service to all adults who have been adopted through St Margaret’s. We appreciate that taking this first step can be daunting and you may be unsure whether you wish to proceed. Please be assured that our staff will deal with your enquiry sensitively and confidentiality. At all stages you will be in control. We would never initiate any contact or release any information without your prior permission.
Should you be interested in finding out more about your adoption, one of our workers will access your original file and provide you with a background report with any information contained within. Every file will be different but information that may be accessed can include your birth name, names of your birth family members and their area of origin or the reasons why your birth parents placed you for adoption.
Once this report has been compiled, the worker will meet with you to go over this information and answer any questions that you may have. Should you wish to consider initiating contact with your birth family, the worker will also take steps to trace them. It is important to recognise that this can be a very emotional journey which is sometimes rewarding and sometimes disappointing. The worker will help you to think through all of the possible scenarios that you may face, for example, you birth mother may no longer be alive or may not wish contact from you or you may find you have additional siblings that you were unaware of. Once you have considered this, it will be your decision whether or not you wish to try and make contact. Should you decide that you do wish to make contact, we would make the initial contact on your behalf and will support you through this process.
If you wish to discuss this further, please contact the office and a worker will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
As well as your records held at St Margaret’s, you may also wish to consider accessing the legal documents held in relation to your adoption. This can be done by contacting:
The National Records of Scotland Adoption Unit
Room 3
General Register House
2 Princes Street
Edinburgh, EH1 3YY
Telephone: 0131 535 1355 or 1383
Some adopted adults also wish to register on the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland. This is a register of adopted adults and birth parents who would welcome contact. You can find out more about the Adoption Contact Register by contacting:
Birthlink
21 Castle Street
Edinburgh , EH2 3DN
Telephone: 0131 225 6441
Service for Birth Parents
Being in existence since 1955, St Margaret’s have worked with many birth mothers over the years who have placed their children for adoption. Our experience tells us that for many birth parents who relinquished their babies, they felt that they had no other choice at the time, whether this be due to the stigma of being an unmarried mother, lack of financial support or the influence of their families. Many birth parents spend many years with feelings of guilt, wondering whether they made the right decision and whether their child was given the happy life that they had hoped for.
At St Margaret’s we offer support to any birth parent who has placed a child for adoption through the agency, regardless of how long ago this may have been. For some birth parents they simply need the opportunity to speak independently about their experience or perhaps look to clarify their memories of the situation at the time. For other birth parents they are keen to find out whether their birth child has ever tried to make contact with them or would be interested in hearing from them.
Our support service for birth parents provides you with the opportunity to meet with one of our workers to talk through your feelings and what you hope to achieve. While we cannot provide any identifying information regarding your birth child, in some cases we can contact them on your behalf. The worker will help you to think through all of the different scenarios you may face, for example, we may not be able to trace your birth child or they may not wish any contact. Regardless of the outcome, we will provide you with a sensitive and confidential service at all stages.
We appreciate that as a birth mother it can be very daunting to contact the adoption agency with whom you placed your child many years ago. We would reassure you that all enquiries will be treated sensitively and in the strictest confidence.
If you wish to discuss this further, please contact the office and a worker will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Some birth parents also wish to register on the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland. This is a register of adopted adults and birth parents who would welcome contact. You can find out more about the Adoption Contact Register by contacting:
Birthlink
21 Castle Street
Edinburgh , EH2 3DN
Telephone: 0131 225 6441
Service for Birth Parents
Service for Birth Parents
Being in existence since 1955, St Margaret’s have worked with many birth mothers over the years who have placed their children for adoption. Our experience tells us that for many birth parents who relinquished their babies, they felt that they had no other choice at the time, whether this be due to the stigma of being an unmarried mother, lack of financial support or the influence of their families. Many birth parents spend many years with feelings of guilt, wondering whether they made the right decision and whether their child was given the happy life that they had hoped for.
At St Margaret’s we offer support to any birth parent who has placed a child for adoption through the agency, regardless of how long ago this may have been. For some birth parents they simply need the opportunity to speak independently about their experience or perhaps look to clarify their memories of the situation at the time. For other birth parents they are keen to find out whether their birth child has ever tried to make contact with them or would be interested in hearing from them.
Our support service for birth parents provides you with the opportunity to meet with one of our workers to talk through your feelings and what you hope to achieve. While we cannot provide any identifying information regarding your birth child, in some cases we can contact them on your behalf. The worker will help you to think through all of the different scenarios you may face, for example, we may not be able to trace your birth child or they may not wish any contact. Regardless of the outcome, we will provide you with a sensitive and confidential service at all stages.
We appreciate that as a birth mother it can be very daunting to contact the adoption agency with whom you placed your child many years ago. We would reassure you that all enquiries will be treated sensitively and in the strictest confidence.
If you wish to discuss this further, please contact the office and a worker will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Some birth parents also wish to register on the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland. This is a register of adopted adults and birth parents who would welcome contact. You can find out more about the Adoption Contact Register by contacting:
Birthlink
21 Castle Street
Edinburgh , EH2 3DN
Telephone: 0131 225 6441