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A new parliamentary inquiry has found that the majority of adopted young people believe adoption is poorly understood by society and government, with many reporting isolation, identity uncertainty and unmet mental health needs as they move through adolescence and into adulthood.
The report, Adoptee Voices, published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Adoption (APPGAP), draws on evidence from more than 300 adopted young people aged between 13 and 25. It examines experiences of identity, wellbeing and education, and highlights what the authors describe as systemic gaps in support for adoptees beyond childhood.
According to the findings, 82% of respondents said that adopted young people are not understood by wider society or policymakers. Half of adoptees aged 18 to 25 reported that they did not feel part of any community that understands adoption, while around a third said they lacked confidence in their identity or did not fully understand their own life story. These findings emerged despite near-universal agreement among respondents that adoptees require specialist support to help them make sense of their past.
The inquiry was designed and led by adoptees, and the report emphasises that adoption should be understood as a lifelong experience rather than a time-limited intervention. A recurring theme in the evidence was the presence of sharp “cliff edges” in support at age 18, when statutory and therapeutic assistance often falls away despite continuing or escalating need.
More than half of respondents said they had sought mental health support but were unable to access help that was appropriate for adoptees, with many describing being passed between services or discharged for failing to meet adult service thresholds. The report suggests that existing mental health provision is frequently ill-equipped to respond to the impact of early trauma, separation and loss commonly experienced by adopted young people.
Neurodiversity was also a prominent issue. Nearly two-thirds of respondents identified as neurodiverse, and over half said these needs were not recognised or adequately supported by services. The inquiry links this to broader concerns about misunderstanding of trauma-related behaviours, particularly within education settings.
Education featured strongly in the evidence, with 83% of respondents stating that adoptees need more support than their peers to manage emotional regulation at school or college. Many described experiences where trauma responses were misinterpreted as poor behaviour, resulting in exclusionary practices rather than pastoral support. The report raises concerns about the long-term impact of these experiences on educational attainment and wellbeing.
The APPGAP warns that adoptees are at risk of falling between systems that were not designed with their specific needs in mind, particularly during adolescence and early adulthood. It argues that current frameworks fail to reflect the lifelong nature of adoption and the enduring effects of early adversity.
Among its key recommendations, the inquiry calls for the establishment of a national adoptee forum to embed adoptee perspectives into policy development and service design. It also proposes that every school and college should have a trained lead with specific understanding of adoption, alongside access to calm and supportive spaces for emotional regulation. Further recommendations include the creation of adoptee-led support spaces at key life stages and reform of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund to ensure long-term, sustainable funding that reflects children’s needs.
For family law and adoption practitioners, the report provides important evidence on post-adoption outcomes and reinforces the need for continuity of support beyond childhood. It is likely to be of particular relevance to debates around adoption support provision, education law, and the adequacy of current mental health pathways for care-experienced and adopted young people.
