Welcome to Birthlink
Our aim is to enhance the well-being and promote the welfare of all people affected by adoption with a Scottish connection.
How can we help?
If you have been affected by an adoption with a Scottish connection as a child, parent or relative, and are either looking for somebody, some information, or just someone to talk to, we can help you.
Are you an adopted person?
We can help at any and every stage of your search…

Adoption Contact Register
Finding connections through the Adoption Contact Register (ACR) for Scotland

National Records of Scotland
Locate your original birth extract, adoption certificate and access your court process papers

Mediation
Birthlink can facilitate an exchange of letters and photographs until the people involved feel ready to proceed

Accessing records
There are many types of records relating to your adoption and we can help in sorting out which ones are which

Search services
Using our experienced volunteers we are able to conduct a search to trace a birth relative on your behalf
Are you looking for information and advice? Our
After Adoption Information Line
is for everyone connected to Adoption: the adopted person,
birth relative or professional
Call:
0131 225 6441
Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm

Are you a birth parent or relative?
At Birthlink we can help with…
Finding the original birth extract through the National Records for Scotland (NRS) Adoption Unit

Finding connections through the Adoption Contact Register (ACR) for Scotland

Are you an in-care survivor?
Our Care Connect service helps adults who have been in care to find information about their past or trace estranged family members.
Care Connect
We are currently working in partnership with Future Pathways, to locate and access in-care records

Words of appreciation
Read what our service users say…
Our latest news
Adoption tracing services are patchy at best, but we can help.
The adoptions that took place between the 1950s and 1970s often resulted in babies being unnecessarily taken away from unmarried mothers with consequent life-long pain. The First...
Challenging time of year for mothers whose children have been adopted
For mothers whose children have been adopted, this time of year is a challenge. Xmas and New Year bring expectations of togetherness, celebrations of birth and renewal, and the...
Adoption Week to focus on connections with past, present and future family
By the time this article appears the UK’s National Adoption Week in October will be over. However we could not let it pass without drawing attention to this year’s welcome...