Post Adoption Letterboxes - Find a freedom of information request

I would prefer that the information is specifically for the regional adoption agency Family Adoption links but I am happy to accept information individually for each council.

Please can you supply me with the following information:

1. How many active/inactive post adoption letterboxes do you have? (By active, I mean where correspondence from at least one party is made)

2. Of the active post adoption letterboxes, how many receive only mail from:

a. The birth family or

b. The adoptive family and

c. Both.

1. As of 31 March 2021 there were 660 children on Lincolnshire's letterbox scheme.

12 of these are non-adoption cases, eg children subject to a Special Guardianship Order.

Of the 660 children, 162 children have inactive arrangements, e.g. where there has been no contact from adopters/birth family for more than two years. All inactive cases remain on the letterbox scheme until children are 18 and the arrangement can be reinstated at any time on request from either party, assuming the other party can be located.

2.

a. N/A.

b. N/A.

c. All letterbox arrangements are set up and intended to be two way exchanges, e.g. the adopters agree to write a letter when it is due and this is passed on to the birth family with a prepaid envelope for their response.

There is a translation service for birth parents when English is not their first language and a number of birth parents receive independent support from PACUK's First Family Service with their letters.

Any birth parent who needs support with letterbox is referred to this service, with their permission. However, there are currently five children on the database with birth parents who have confirmed they prefer to just receive news and not write back and 12 adoptive families who send in letters each year although they are aware we have no current address for the birth parents, the letters are kept on file awaiting contact.