PAC-UK Publications

PAC-UK Big Consult of Adopted People & Birth Parents

PAC-UK Big Consult of Adopted People & Birth Parents

PAC-UK reveals the findings of The Big Consult, the largest piece of research into birth parents and adopted people’s experiences and feelings around the adoption process, in over 20 years.

The Big Consult was funded by the National Adoption Strategy Team and is a major consultation of birth parents whose children have been adopted, and of people adopted from the 1950s to the present day.

PAC-UK launched The Big Consult to gain an understanding of birth parents and adopted people’s feelings and experiences around the adoption process, the services they received before and after, their thoughts on how these can be improved, and their suggestions for the future of adoption.

Download: PAC-UK Big Consult of Adopted People  Download: PAC-UK Big Consult of Birth Parents

PAC-UK delivered an online 'Big Consult Launch Event' on 20 April 2023, which was a huge success with over 250 people attending live on the day - you can view the event recording on PAC-UK YouTube.


UEA and PAC-UK research briefing – “Maintaining relationships with birth families after adoption: What are Adopted Adults’ Views?”

In June 2022 we launched our ‘PAC-UK Consultation – Services for Adopted People’ survey. We wanted to hear directly from adopted people about the services and support they feel is needed.

We were extremely pleased and thankful that a fantastic 392 adopted people completed the survey. Within the survey we also asked about adopted people’s priorities around maintaining relationships with birth family after adoption and 231 responded with comments around this.

Realising the importance of these responses in an under-researched area, we worked with Professor Beth Neil and Cassian Rawcliffe from the University of East Anglia (UEA) on a research briefing which reflects these views.

Download: “Maintaining relationships with birth families after adoption: What are Adopted Adults’ Views?”

Cassian Rawcliffe (University of East Anglia) presented the findings of this research briefing at our "Voices and Stories of Adopted People - Identity and Relationships" conference on 17 October 2022 - you can view the event recording on PAC-UK YouTube (Cassian starts his presentation at 2 hours, 37 mins).


PAC-UK 'BRIGHTER FUTURE' Publications

From protection to inclusion: A handbook for teachers on children in alternative care and adopted childrenPAC-UK was the UK representative in an international project called ‘BRIGHTER FUTURE’ which was funded through Erasmus+. This 30-month project aimed to directly improve the educational experience of children in care and adopted children, through innovative training for some of the most important people in their lives – their teachers.

Working in collaboration with partners in Spain, the Netherlands and Italy, our consortium produced four publications: 

  1. From protection to inclusion: Identifying the challenges
  2. From Protection to Inclusion: A Handbook for teachers on children in alternative care and adopted children
  3. Early adversity experiences and wellbeing at school: A training module for (prospective) teachers
  4. BRIGHTER FUTURE Online Library

These publications can all be downloaded for free on the BRIGHTER FUTURE page on The Autonomous University of Barcelona website. 


Becoming an Adoption-Friendly School

Based on research conducted by PAC-UK, this guide will show school leaders how to develop their adoption-friendly policies and practice, with photocopiable and printable resources. Identifying eight key areas for improvement such as staff training and communication with families, it is applicable to all school settings.

Purchase of the book provides access to an online toolkit, a bank of resources, templates and policies to help schools on the way. The book’s launch took place on 15 May 2017 at the Royal Society of Medicine.

The book can be purchased via Amazon here. For bulk orders and all other enquiries please contact education@pac-uk.org.


A Good Practice Guide for Schools

A Good Practice Guide for Schools clearly explains how attachment difficulties, trauma and loss affect children and young people’s learning, behaviour and social and emotional development. It provides practical, evidence-informed strategies to help enhance the practice of all those working to support and include traumatised children and young people in school.

Published in 2013, our Good Practice Guide for Schools has sold over 4,000 copies.

SPECIAL OFFER - LAST CHANCE TO BUY: A Good Practice Guide for Schools - Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Children who are Looked After, Fostered, Adopted or otherwise Permanently Placed usually costs £10 for one copy and £7.50 each for multiple copies.

… But while final stocks last you can get your copy for just £5. We are also offering bulk order discounts of 25 copies for £99 or 60 copies for £199!

PAC-UK is a charity and a donation towards the cost of postage and packing would be appreciated.

A Good Practice Guide for Schools - Special Offer



For further enquiries please contact education@pac-uk.org


Meeting the needs of adopted and permanently placed children - A guide for school staff

PAC-UK and Adoption UK have published two complementary education guides, for school staff and adoptive parents respectively, to help ensure adopted children get the best possible educational start in life.

The guides explain why these vulnerable children may need additional support in school, what educational entitlements they can attract and what support is available for them.

PAC-UK’s guide for school staff 'Meeting the needs of adopted and permanently placed children: A guide for school staff' covers a range of topics including: what we know about our children in education, a background to early developmental trauma, whole school approaches, and support for schools and families.

Adoption UK’s guide 'Meeting the needs of adopted and permanently placed children - A guide for adoptive parentsincludes information about Virtual School Heads (VSHs), Designated Teachers (DTs), Priority School Admission, Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) and dedicates two pages to Intercountry Adoption and Schools.

PAC-UK: Meeting the needs of adopted and permanently placed children - A guide for school staff
PAC-UK Cards - 4 up
PAC-UK Case Studies
PAC-UK Flyer - Supporting adopted and permanently placed children in school
PAC-UK Poster - We want you to know

Adoption UK: Meeting the needs of adopted and permanently placed children - A guide for adoptive parents

These guides and resources were published on 19 October 2017. You can read the joint PAC-UK & AUK press release in full here.


PAC-UK e-newsletter

Welcome to the latest edition of the PAC-UK newsletter, a regular source of information with the latest updates from across the charity.

PAC-UK & Family Action National Adoption Week Newsletter - October 2021
PAC-UK & Family Action Newsletter - December 2020
PAC-UK & Family Action National Adoption Week Newsletter - October 2020
PAC-UK & Family Action Newsletter - December 2019
PAC-UK & Family Action National Adoption Week Newsletter - October 2019
PAC-UK & Family Action Newsletter - Summer 2019
PAC-UK & Family Action Merger Announcement - December 2018
PAC-UK National Adoption Week Newsletter - October 2018
PAC-UK Education Service Newsletter - Summer 2018
PAC-UK Newsletter - Summer 2018
PAC-UK National Adoption Week Newsletter - October 2017
PAC-UK Newsletter - September 2017

PAC-UK GSK IMPACT Awards Press Release - May 2017
PAC-UK Newsletter - April 2017

PAC-UK Newsletter - December 2016
PAC-UK National Adoption Week Newsletter - October 2016

PAC-UK Newsletter - August 2016

PAC-UK Newsletter - June 2016

PAC-UK Newsletter - February 2016

PAC-UK Newsletter - October 2015


ImPACt e-newsletter Archive

Read historic ImPACt e- newsletters here:

ImPACt - May 2014
ImPACt - November 2013
PAC Education News - October 2013
ImPACt - July 2013
ImPACt - April 2013
ImPACt - December 2012
ImPACt - October 2012
ImPACt – July 2012
ImPACt – May 2012
ImPACt – April 2012


PAC-UK Annual Review Archive

Read historic PAC-UK Annual Reviews here:

PAC-UK 2016/17 Annual Review
PAC-UK 2014/15 Annual Review

PAC's 2013/14 Annual Review
PAC's 2012/13 Annual Review

PAC’s 2011/12 Annual Review