The Department for Education (DfE) has published a report on the needs, experiences and outcomes of young people aged 12-to-25-years-old growing up in adoptive and special guardianship families in England. The report is the second in a series of reports drawing on interviews with 74 families and young people. It examines the circumstances and experiences that impact the wellbeing, health and outcomes of young people in adoptive and special guardianship families. Key findings include: families often felt uninformed about children’s backgrounds and the challenges faced by birth parents, which affected their understanding of future support needs; support for adoptive and special guardianship families who were struggling was often difficult to access; parenting support and trauma-informed training was valued by many families; and despite high levels of need, access to mental health support was limited. The report also identifies risk and protective factors.
Download the report: Family routes: exploring needs, experiences and outcomes among young people growing up in adoption and special guardianship
Source: DfE
Date published: 29 January 2026
