Charities for care leavers, adoptive and kinship families

Which charities help care leavers, adoptive and kinship families with a change of name?#

If you are care-experienced, ask the national charity for your part of the UK: Become in England, Who Cares? Scotland, Voices From Care Cymru in Wales or VOYPIC in Northern Ireland, with Coram Voice for an advocate in England. Kinship supports relatives raising a child, including special guardians, and Adoption UK supports adopted people and adoptive families.

None of them makes deed polls, and none of the care-experienced charities we read publishes a page on changing a name. They know the care system, your rights in it and the people to ask, and that is what a change of name in care usually needs.

What does a change of name involve in care, kinship care or adoption?#

The law is stricter for a child in care, under special guardianship or placed for adoption than for any other child:

• Under a care order, section 33 of the Children Act 1989 says no one may cause the child to be known by a new surname without the written consent of every person with parental responsibility, or the court's leave. The council shares parental responsibility but cannot decide alone.
• Under a special guardianship order, section 14C applies the same rule. Kinship's guide lists changing the surname among the decisions that need everyone's consent, with a court application on form C2 if someone refuses.
• When a child is placed for adoption or a placement order is in force, section 28 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 requires the court's leave or the written consent of each parent or guardian.
• An adoption order sets the child's names itself. Adoption and special guardianship covers that and later changes.
• Foster carers and relatives without an order cannot agree to a new name: who can change a child's name goes through each role.
• From 16, GOV.UK says you can make your own unenrolled deed poll. A court order about you can still limit this, so ask first if one is in place; changing your name at 16 or 17 explains. Care leavers have their own page: changing your name as a care leaver.
• Adopted as a child? As an adult you can take back a birth name by deed poll: see going back to your birth name.
• Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own courts, care law and birth records: see a child's name in Scotland and in Northern Ireland, and ask Who Cares? Scotland or VOYPIC about care there.

Charities that can help#

What each kind of charity can help with#

Care-experienced young people and adults

• Become runs a free, confidential Care Advice Service for young people in care and care leavers in England, by freephone, contact form or email, and answers questions about your rights in care and after it.
• Coram Voice supports children and young people in care, on the edge of care and care leavers to know their rights, through an advocacy helpline and local advocacy services.
• Who Cares? Scotland is the national membership organisation for care-experienced people in Scotland, with advocacy, a helpline and a guide to your rights.
• Voices From Care Cymru works with care-experienced children and young people in Wales, and takes referrals for help.
• VOYPIC is Northern Ireland's charity for children and young people in care, with advocates who help you find answers.

What to ask: whether any court order still affects your name, how to get your birth certificate or other identity documents if you do not have them, and whether your leaving care service will help with costs. GOV.UK says your council must give you a personal adviser until you are 21, or until your 25th birthday if you ask, and that adviser is often the right person to help with a new name and the records that follow it.

Kinship carers and special guardians

Kinship advises relatives and friends raising children who cannot live with their parents. Its guide to special guardianship explains which decisions need the parents' consent, and its passport guide says that where a child's name was changed under a special guardianship order, you send the court order or a deed poll with the passport application. For the law itself, Child Law Advice notes that under a child arrangements order or special guardianship order the limits on a new surname reach even an informal "known as" name.

What to ask: whether the parents are likely to consent, what a C2 application involves, and whether the child can use a "known as" name at school while you wait.

Adopted people and adoptive families

Adoption UK supports adopted and care-experienced people, adoptive families and kinship carers, with advisers anyone in the adoption community can contact. Ask about a child's name before and after the adoption order, and, if you were adopted, about tracing a birth record and what a return to your birth name means for your family.

How do I reach them?#

Use each charity's own website for its helpline, chat, email or referral form, since opening hours change. If you are still in care, your social worker or independent reviewing officer can also put a question about your name to the council. If you are worried about a birth family member finding you, say so when you make contact, and ask how they will reply.

Can I make the deed poll myself, for free?#

Yes, from 16. GOV.UK publishes the wording of an unenrolled deed poll; you write it out, sign it in front of two witnesses aged 18 or over, and use it straight away, at no cost. GOV.UK warns that some organisations refuse a deed witnessed by a close relative or someone at your address. A child's deed poll under 16 also needs the consents above.

A paid deed poll adds a checked draft on certificate paper, optional certified copies, and a refund if an organisation refuses it; can I get a deed poll for free? compares them. These charities are listed for the help they give. A listing does not mean any of them recommends us, and none has reviewed this page.