How do contact and reunions work out?

There is no way of knowing about the outcome of initial contact, but we do have information from various research studies. A consistent theme is that people do not regret taking their enquiries forward and making contact even if things do not work out exactly as they had hoped.

The majority of adopted people report how contact and reunion have helped them to answer important questions about their background and to have a greater sense of identity (Feast and Philpot, 2003). When the contact leads to a reunion then many continue to develop strong friendships whilst others fade as time goes by.

No two reunions are alike. People experience a range of emotions and face different issues along the way. It is therefore worth bearing in mind that you or other people affected by reunion may benefit from ongoing support from the agency or from others who have had this experience.