Welcome to PATCH: Passionate Adopters Targeting Change with Hope

At PATCH we are committed to challenging systemic failures in adoption and advocating for meaningful reform. Our mission is to empower adoptive families, enhance understanding, and drive change to push for the delivery of the support that every child and family deserves to thrive. PATCH was established to illuminate the challenges faced by many adopters in crisis, exposing the inadequacies and harmful nature of current systems.

PATCH Pathway – Focus Report On Adoption Crisis

A guide sharing Adopters’ real experiences, highlighting system and practice failings to drive systemic change, inform best practice, and prevent crises in adoption—ensuring safer, better outcomes for both adoptees and adopters.

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Latest Posts…

Posts About Lived Experience Posts by Patch's Founder

‘Context doesn’t matter’

The Support is a Lie: When Systems Choose Not to See When I adopted, I was not naïve. I understood trauma. I understood complexity. I understood much of the reality of children whose lives had already been shaped by loss, [...]

12
Apr

Posts About Wider Views Uncategorised

Off topic – The Shame That Isn’t mine to Carry

It was a relationship that became something else. Not suddenly, and not in a way that made sense at the time. It shifted gradually, piece by piece, until I found myself in something I no longer recognised—and even less so, [...]

05
Apr

Posts About Lived Experience

To whoever chooses to listen, I’m writing this because Mother’s Day is coming, and the grief is already too heavy to hold. Not because my children are gone — they aren’t. Not all of them. Not completely. But because we [...]

12
Mar

Posts About Lived Experience

Adoptee – Open Letter to Social Services & Adoption Professionals

To UK governments, councils, schools, local authorities, social services, family courts, regional and voluntary adoption agencies, I’m James and I’m a 23-year-old screenwriter from Wales. I was adopted from foster care in 2004, and yet once the adoption order was [...]

04
Mar

Posts About Lived Experience

What do we mean by social ‘care’?

Lived Experience: Adoption, Violence and Systemic Failure I am a former social worker and an adopter. I have been profoundly Deaf since birth; I can speak and I use British Sign Language. In the early 2000s, my then partner and [...]

19
Dec

Posts About Lived Experience

From HOPE to HARM – betrayed by systems…

My husband and I adopted our three children over 10 years ago. They were all under five when they came to us. As with all adopters, we were asked to state early in the adoption process what we thought we [...]

11
Dec

Who We Are

Driven by personal journeys and united in our mission, we strive to ensure that every adopter’s voice is heard, and every child’s trauma is addressed with expertise and empathy. Our commitment lies in pushing for meaningful change, challenging systemic failings, and advocating for the entire well-being of children and families within the adoption community.

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Voices

These narratives are not just stories; they are heartfelt pleas for understanding, empathy, and systemic change. From personal accounts to professional insights, each voice contributes to a richer, more nuanced dialogue on adoption, fostering, and the urgent need for a more empathetic and informed approach. Listen, reflect, and join us in our mission to transform the landscape of adoption and social care.

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Resources & Links

Here, you’ll find a comprehensive collection of tools, articles, guides, and invaluable insights aimed at supporting adopters, professionals, and anyone touched by the adoption process. Whether you’re seeking knowledge, understanding, or practical advice, our resources are meticulously selected to provide clarity, comfort, and direction.

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