Scotland’s Adoption Register
Scotland’s Adoption Register is a project funded by the Scottish Government and hosted by AFKA Scotland. The Register’s remit is to facilitate the linking and matching process for social workers to produce the best permanent outcomes for children and prospective adopters across Scotland. SAR offers a number of family finding services at no cost to agencies or adopters.
SAR’s Family Finding Services include:
- National Online Register Scotland’s Adoption Register runs an online system that allows social workers and adopters to share information and to explore possible links with the highest levels of security, using an IT system provided by the social enterprise ‘Link Maker’.
- Adopter and child led matching events The Register helps bring prospective adopters into direct contact with information about some of the children who are waiting for a new forever family by hosting events and offering direct advice to Local Authorities about family finding for individual children or sibling groups. The aim is to enable adopters to be part of the process of linking with a child, to encourage them to consider children they may not previously have thought about adopting and ultimately to create new families. Events include:
- Exchange Days, where adopters can meet and hear directly from social workers and foster carers about children needing families, allowing adopters more direct involvement in the linking process and providing a realistic picture of the range of children requiring adoption.
- Activity Days which allow adopters and children waiting for adoption to meet in a prepared, supported, safe and fun environment.
Other Services offered by SAR include:
- Online Resources including leaflets for practitioners and prospective adoptive families, stories of adoption, and much more.
- Statistics and Reports on Adoption in Scotland The Register collates data about the demographics of children and adopters referred to the online register, including the number of referrals, children’s ages, sibling groups, ethnicity and religion, contact, legal issues and additional specific needs, which can be used to influence policy and practice to enhance existing services.
- Advice and FAQs The Register offers advice and information to prospective adopters, as well as advice and training to Local Authorities on a number of areas including care planning, recruitment, family finding and transitions.
Learn more at www.scotlandsadoptionregister.org.uk or contact the team directly:
- Telephone: 0131 526 3240
- Email: sar@adoptionregister.scot