Family Routes: essential research about the experiences and needs of adoptive and Special Guardianship families

Family Routes is funded by government (Department for Education) and aims to help improve the ways that families are supported, how schools understand the experience of young people who are adopted or living with a Special Guardian and learn how services need to change and develop to better support young people as they become adults
Ad Feature by Ecorys
Published 9th Jun 2023, 07:00 BST
Family Routes is a brand-new study about the lives of teenagers and young adults in adoptive and Special Guardianship familiesFamily Routes is a brand-new study about the lives of teenagers and young adults in adoptive and Special Guardianship families
Family Routes is a brand-new study about the lives of teenagers and young adults in adoptive and Special Guardianship families

There is a lot of research on younger children. But we know very little about young people’s experiences (both good and bad) as they grow up and become adults, and the support they might need.

– Are you aged 12-25 living in England? Did you leave foster or residential care on an Adoption or Special Guardianship Order?

– Are you an adoptive parent or Special Guardian of a young person aged 12-25 who came to live with you from care?

Adoptive parents, Special Guardians and #youngpeople aged 12-25 who left foster or residential care in England can take partAdoptive parents, Special Guardians and #youngpeople aged 12-25 who left foster or residential care in England can take part
Adoptive parents, Special Guardians and #youngpeople aged 12-25 who left foster or residential care in England can take part

If so, Family Routes would love to hear from you. Register to take part at familyroutes.ipsos.com

They want to include all different experiences – whether your family is thriving or struggling and from families whose children are no longer living with them. 12-17-year-olds will need an adoptive parent or Special Guardian to agree first.

This brand new, ground-breaking study about becoming teenagers and young adults in adoptive and Special Guardianship families has never been done before. Taking part helps give a voice to adoptive and Special Guardianship families. What you tell us can make a real difference.

Previous Department for Education studies such as Beyond the Adoption Order led to the government introducing the Adoption Support Fund and extra support in schools. This is the first time a national study of families during adolescence and early adulthood has been done.

Sarah Jennings, Deputy Director at the Department for Education said “This ground-breaking research will inform future government policy and delivery of both adoption and kinship care support. Previous research on adoption led directly to the development of the Adoption Support Fund and additional support in schools for adopted children. This research will inform our thinking on how to further improve the support provided to adoptive and kinship care families.”

What does it involve?

You can choose to complete a questionnaire, an interview or both. You’ll be asked about different things, like:

– You and your family

– Important relationships

– Experiences with school/college

– Health and wellbeing

– The help you and your family need and have received

– How you feel about family life

We are hoping to speak to people at least twice during the study, to understand how things change. The second set of surveys and research interviews will happen around a year or two after the first time you first take part. Everyone who takes part and is willing to leave their contact details will receive a £10 shopping voucher as a thank you.

Ecorys UK, Professor Julie Selwyn at the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford and Ipsos are running the study.

To find out more go to familyroutes.ipsos.com

Related topics:Adoption