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Derek Kirton, Julia Feast and David Howe Report on findings from qualitative interviews with transracially adopted adults, carried out as part of a research project by The Children's Society. Findings show that those adopted transracially shared many experiences with other adopted people, including almost invariably feeling that they have gained from searching and/or reunion. For many transracially adopted people, issues of racial and ethnic identity figured prominently within motivation for searching, but their needs and aspirations in this regard often went unmet. Finally, the implications of the research for family placement work and post-adoption services are considered.

In July 1991 The Children's Society revised its policies to provide a more active service to the birth relatives of adopted people. Julia Feast and Janet Smith consider some of the issues and dilemmas which arise when agencies decide to act as intermediaries for birth family members wanting information about or contact with adopted adult relatives.

In Adoption & Fostering 17 2, Julia Feast and Janet Smith considered some of the issues raised by The Children's Society's intermediary service for birth relatives. Here they describe how they have evaluated this work, and how it has influenced The Children's Society's policies and procedures.

As part of its work with adopters, adopted people and their birth relatives, the Children's Society Post-adoption and Care Counselling Research Project is engaged in a number of studies looking at adopted people's experiences of seeking background information and contact with birth relatives. Between 1988 and 1995, project workers provided advice and counselling beyond initial contact to 366 adopted people seeking information and possible reunion with a birth relative. In the following study, Julia Feast and David Howe analysed the agency's file records to determine the numbers and characteristics of adopted people who sought help from the project's counsellors. Findings are presented about the demographic characteristics of the adopted adults, their reasons for wanting the service, the type of contact established with a birth relative and the quality of relationship with their adoptive parents.