Post Adoption Services
Barnardos Post Adoption Service has been running an independent and confidential service to adopted people, birth parents and adoptive parents since 1977. Over the years hundreds of people have contacted us discuss their feelings and experiences in adoption and to seek advice on a range of issues.
The Post Adoption Service provides support and advice to parents who have adopted from abroad, as well as a direct service to children. Attachment issues, explaining adoption, dealing with racism and accessing specialist services are some of the areas where we are happy to offer advice and assistance.
Birth relatives and adopted people can often feel the need to talk about their experiences. The Post Adoption Service can offer both a chance to meet others in the same situation through our group work service. We also offer individual support especially to birthmothers and adopted people who are considering contact with birth relatives perhaps through the National Adoption Contact Preference Register. The Register which was launched by the Adoption Board in 2005 gives adopted people and members of their natural family an opportunity to register their wishes about contact.
Adoptive parents are also welcome to contact the service to discuss any questions or anxieties they might have about their adult son or daughter making contact with birth relatives.
Barnardos Post Adoption Service Booklet
Our services
We provide a number of services, including:
- A therapeutic service for intercountry adopted children living in the Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow area. Children and Family Services Information.
- A helpline and email advisory service for adoptive parents, birth family members and adopted young people and adults
- Training and support meetings for parents who have adopted from abroad
- A mediation service for adopted people and birth family members who are preparing to meet through the National Adoption Contact Preference Register
- Support meetings for birth mothers and other family members Barnardos Birth Mothers Group
Upcoming events/support groups by Barnardos:
Exploring Adoption: A four-course session for adopted adults
This course will be helpful to adopted adults who are considering searching for background
information, who have had an outcome to their search and/or who would like an opportunity to
reflect on the experience of being adopted. Places are limited to 20 participants.
Where: Hilton Kilmainham Hotel, Inchicore Road, Dublin 8
When: Four Thursday evenings starting from February 23rd 2012: 7.30-9.30pm.
Cost: €80
Training events for adoptive parents:
Workshop: “Talking about Adoption” - a workshop for adoptive parents
This workshop covers issues such as sharing birth information with adopted children, how to handle little or no available information and experience of homeland visits/search for background information
When: Saturday 31st March 2012: 9.45am-12.30pm
Where: Hilton Kilmainham Hotel, Inchicore Road, Dublin 8
Cost: €40 including refreshments.
"Caring for Children with early neglect and trauma -A Day with Dan Hughes"
Saturday 21st April 2012
A training day for adoptive and foster parents and for professionals with the renowned US psychologist and author.
Barnardos Post Adoption Service is pleased to present a one day training day with world renowned clinical psychologist Dr Dan Hughes. Dan is the originator of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and is an internationally acclaimed therapist and author in the field of attachment and emotional recovery for children and teenagers. Dan’s books include “Building the Bonds of Attachment 2nd edition 2006”, “Attachment Focused Parenting” (2009) and most recently the” Attachment Focused Family Therapy workbook” (2011).
Further information about his therapeutic approach can be found at www.danielhughes.org
This training day: Dan will describe how children are affected by early trauma and neglect and how an understanding of attachment and intersubjectivity can help parents and professionals assist children and young people in reaching a successful developmental path. He will explain affective/reflective dialogue and how the “PACE” approach- playfulness, acceptance, curiousity and empathy- can enrich communication with children by both parents and professionals.
- Download the leaflet for more information about this event
- Registration for this event is open; register now.
Workshop: Adopted Teenagers and Young Adults - Feelings and Identity
A workshop for adoptive parents who have adopted children in Ireland or overseas.
When: Friday 25th May 2012: 9.45am to 12.30pm
Where: Hilton Kilmainham Hotel, Inchicore Road, Dublin 8
Cost: €40 including refreshments
Support meetings for adopted adults:
There are a few places left on our next four session evening course for adopted adults - “Exploring Adoption”- which starts on February 23rd. This course will explore themes such as growing up adopted and contact with birth family members. For further information please email the service at adoption@barnardos.ie.
For birth/natural mothers:
The next course will be run in the evenings and will start on Monday 26th March- please contact the service in confidence for details on 01 453 0355 or by emailing adoption@barnardos.ie. Read about the Birth Mother's Group.
Contacting us
If you would like more information about our Post Adoption Service, please contact us.
Dublin
A: Barnardos, Hyde Square, 654 South Circular Road, Dublin 8
T: 01 453 0355
E: adoption@barnardos.ie
Helpline
T: 01 454 6388
(Open 10am - 1pm, every Tuesday & Thursday)
Training events run by other services
28 Jan 2012: Beyond Ordinary Parenting, Part 2, by Family Futures