Hi there,

You might have lots of reasons to not want contact with your birth dad. Whatever those reasons are, how you’re feeling is valid and it’s okay to do what feels right for you.

Whether a parent is allowed to contact you can depend a lot on your situation. Even if someone is allowed to message you, it can feel upsetting if you’re not expecting it or you don’t want to speak to them. The most important thing you can do is to get support from the people around you. This could be from your mum, social worker, or even an adult you trust.

Telling someone what’s happening can help them to support you through your decision of whether to respond. They can also support you if you’re feeling unsafe or you want someone to talk to him on your behalf. You’re the important person in all of this, and you deserve to feel supported.

When someone is trying to add you on Facebook, there are things you can do to keep them away. Within your privacy settings you can block specific accounts, meaning they won’t be able to. You can also change your privacy settings to prevent other people being able to add you.

If you’re struggling to get support from people in your life, Childline is here for you as well. You can get support from our counsellors any time. Talking things through can help you to find new ways to cope and think about what you want in the future.

Take care,

Sam