Towards Modernising Adoption in Scotland: A Focused Mapping Review

CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection, was asked to compile a review of relevant literature for the Scottish Government as it considers Scotland’s approach to the adoption of children from care and the services needed to support those affected by adoption. The review was completed between January and October 2024. The work is underpinned by the aim of ensuring that children who are adopted from care in Scotland receive the love, care and support they need to reach their full potential; are supported to retain important relationships where it is safe to do so; that adoptive families feel equipped and well-supported by the practitioners who support them, and that services are ‘adoption competent’; that is, able to deliver the services that are needed in ways which recognise, understand and are responsive to the complexity, nuances and implications of adoption experience.
This focused mapping review is divided into the following sections:
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Building adoptive families for children, which includes a focus on the recruitment and preparation of adopters and the linking and matching of children to their adoptive families;
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Life journey, or life-story, work for children who are adopted;
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Supporting children with ongoing communication and spending time with their birth families after adoption;
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Adoption support, with a focus on supporting all children and adults affected by adoption.
Our review focuses on what is known about different aspects of the ‘adoption system’ in the UK and elsewhere in the context of children who are adopted from care, providing a snapshot overview of recent research and evidence to assist with understanding what is needed in Scotland to modernise adoption in the 21st century and better meet the needs of everyone involved.