Other Services
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
Thinking of having your baby adopted?
It can be a very difficult and emotional time when you are considering whether to place your baby for adoption. The implications of placing your baby for adoption are life-long, for yourself, for your baby and for your extended family. Once an Adoption Order has been made this cannot be reversed. It is therefore essential that you seek advice in considering whether to place your baby for adoption.
Here at St Margaret’s we provide a free and independent service to help you consider the different options in relation to your baby. If you wish to discuss this further please contact us using the form below.
Reunion
The decision to have a reunion meeting with a birth child is a very individual decision. While birth mothers particularly can be driven to trace the child they relinquished for adoption, adopted people can have very different views on the subject.
For some adopted people a reunion is a vital element to their sense of identity and they will be certain that they wish meet their birth parent. For others it is less important to meet a birth parent. Sometimes there can be mixed feelings and a desire not to be disloyal to adoptive parents.
Some adopted people are content to be given information about the circumstances surrounding their adoption, while others ask to exchange letters and photographs with their birth parent. There is no defined blueprint for this process, and each person will wish to proceed according to their own individual needs and wishes.
In counselling individuals considering a reunion we always place the needs of the adopted person first. Therefore, the process will progress at a pace which is comfortable for the adopted person. This may mean that a birth parent can do no more than leave their contact details with us, on file. If the adopted person does not wish to make contact we will honour that decision.
We offer our premises as a venue for reunions and our experienced staff will facilitate reunions and help birth parents and adopted children decide how to manage what can often be a very tricky new relationship.
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Adoption Society
Contact us
Contact Us
You can contact us by phone, writing to us or using the form below to send us a message.
26 Newton Place,
Glasgow, G3 7PY.
0141 332 8371
As required by law and in line with The Duty Of Candour Procedure (Scotland) Regulations 2018, St Margaret’s Children and family Care Society operates a duty of candour policy.
