User Views and Experiences of Post Adoption Services: A Study of a Regional Post-Adoption Agency

While there has been a growing awareness of the need for post-adoption services for all those personally affected by adoption, little is known about the views and experiences of those who make use of them. The findings here, reported by Perlita Harris , derive from a collaborative study by the University of Warwick and the West Midlands Post Adoption Service (WMPAS), undertaken as a doctoral research project. The aim of the study was to centralise the views of users of WMPAS. The analysis revealed that nearly all service users had approached other people and places for help prior to contacting WMPAS, that most evaluated WMPAS services highly and that, for the majority, receiving a service had in many ways made a positive difference to their lives. Implications for the provision of post-adoption services are discussed, together with some of the study's recommendations. In particular, the latter address publicity, the development of new services and increasing accessibility