Adoption Searches

Are you an adopted person looking for birth family or are you looking for someone who was adopted?

This is a complicated topic that requires careful study. I hope that these notes are helpful.

Sources:
You can contact services that help people who have been adopted and their families. Here are a few:

1. General Record Office at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/adoptions/
2. National Organisation for Counselling Adoptees and Parents (NORCAP) at http://www.norcap.org.uk/
3. Adoption, Search & Reunion at http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/
4. British Association for Adoption and Fostering at http://www.baaf.org.uk/
5. The Post Adoption Centre at http://www.postadoptioncentre.org.uk/
6. In Scotland, try Birthlink at http://www.birthlink.org.uk/
7. After Adoption (Post Adoption Services) http://www.afteradoption.org.uk/
8. Transnational and Transracial Adoption Group http://www.ttag.org.uk/
9. Barnado’s http://www.barnardos.org.uk/

Finding an Agency to Help You:
Try typing your local area into the search panel in http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/help/database/ and you will see that your local authority will offer a Post Adoption Service. In addition several national bodies and charities can be contacted as well.

Please note:
As of 30th December 2005 all agencies providing intermediary services must be registered with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). These agencies employ qualified social workers and therapists to help you deal with the emotions aroused in the process of searching for your family. Tracing agencies like Blood-Ties are not registered or qualified to carry out such work, so you must first approach the above organisations.

Adoption Contact Registers:
You may wish to consider using Adoption Contact Registers to help you get in touch with your family. A register is held by the General Register Office at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/adoptions/adoptioncontactregister/index.asp".

The Adoption Contact Register exists to put adopted people and their birth relatives in touch with each other if that is what they both wish. There is a similar register held at NORCAP. These registers have helped many families to find each other again.

There is a charge for both these services, but it could prove worthwhile. There are other commercial registers available as well. Do feel free to use the Blood-Ties Forum, which has its own contact page at http://www.blood-ties.com/findforum/index.php

Access to Birth / Adoption Records:
At 18, an adopted person can apply for a certificate of their original birth registration, via the Access to Birth Records service at the General Register Office.

If you were adopted through a court in England or Wales and are aged 18 years or over you can apply for a certificate of your original birth entry and try to seek out more information about your origins.

The law and the rules vary depending on when the adoption took place:

If you were adopted before 12 November 1975:
You are required to attend an informal meeting with an approved adoption advisor for confidential guidance, either with your local Social Services, at the General Register Office or, under certain circumstances, at the agency that handled your adoption.

You can also choose to see an adoption worker at another local authority. The General Register Office will forward your original birth information to your chosen approved adoption advisor.

Before 12 November 1975, many parents were led to believe that the adopted child would never be able to find out their original name or the names of their parents. These arrangements were made in good faith.

However, changes in legislation allowed adopted people to discover their original details. It is important that adopted people understand what this might mean, not only for themselves but also for others.

If you were adopted between 12 November 1975 and 30 December 2005, are 18 years old or over:
You have a choice whether you would like to see an approved adoption advisor or have the information sent to you direct. You may find it helpful to see an adoption advisor, as they may be able to offer practical advice and guidance as well as discussing any concerns or issues important to you.

If you choose not to see an adoption advisor:
The material sent to you is the same information as that given to adoption advisors for people adopted prior to 12 November 1975.

You will be sent information about your birth name, birth parent(s) name(s) and your district of birth with which to apply for a certified copy of your original birth entry.
If an adoption agency or local authority was involved in your adoption you will receive this information. If not, then you will receive details necessary to make an application to the court for the name of the adoption agency or local authority.

Access to Birth / Adoption Records for Birth Relatives:
From 30 December 2005 changes to the law will enable birth relatives to also apply for access to an adopted person’s adoption registration. However Access to Adoption Records for birth relatives must be done via Intermediary Agencies.
From 30 December 2005 a birth relative wishing to make contact with an adopted person can apply to an approved Intermediary Agency. The Intermediary Agency will help facilitate contact between birth relatives and adopted people.

The Intermediary Agency can apply to the General Register Office for the name of the organisation involved in the adoption or if that is not available the name of the court granting the adoption.

In addition the Intermediary Agency can apply to the General Register Office for information from the Adoption Contact Register and post-adoptive information which will enable an application to be made for an adoption certificate. All this information can be used by the Intermediary Agency to decide whether to proceed but this will be subject to the views of the adopted person.

Intermediary Agencies:
Useful websites that will give more information include:

1. Every Child Matters http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/adoption/
2. Commission for Social Care Inspection http://www.csci.org.uk/registeredservicesdirectory/

Dealing with the emotions brought up by the search:
As may be imagined, the process of making these kinds of searches will bring back all the emotions connected with the adoption in the first place. Moods can vary from black depression to elation. You need to choose a time when things are stable in your life before commencing a search. It is wise to get the support of a good friend or family member who will be willing to offer you support during this process and help by listening to you and by helping keep your feet on the ground.

It is for these reasons that you will be offered counselling when you ask for access to your adoption record. I would suggest that it is a good idea to accept the offer.

One thing to remember is that it is your life and your search. Of course it up to you who you choose to trust and if you don’t feel comfortable with the person offered to you, it is your right to go elsewhere.

One thing is for sure. This search and the reunions that will hopefully follow have been described as an emotional roller coaster and you will need all the support you can get.

Support from other people in a similar position:
Many people choose to join BAAF or NORCAP in order to gain the support of other people who really know what they are experiencing. Some people meet online on newsgroups and groups such as:

1. Alt.Adoption at http://groups.google.com/group/alt.adoption/topics
2. Adoption Searching at http://news-reader.org/uk.people.adoption.searching/
3. Open Records Two at http://groups.msn.com/AdoptionOpenRecordstwo
4. Adoption Searching at http://www.nnseek.com/e/uk.people.adoption.searching/

Useful Reading:
1. The Adoption Reunion Handbook by Trinder, Feast and Howe. ISBN 0470094222
2. Searching for Family Connections by NORCAP ISBN 0950990159
3. Where to Find Adoption Records by Georgina Stafford BAAF ISBN 1903699010
4. Tracing Missing Persons by Colin D. Rogers ISBN 071901901X
5. The Primal Wound by Nancy Newton Verrier ISBN 0963648004

More interesting sites:
Robin Harritt at http://harritt.net/ for a view on the current legislation and on difficulties in getting hold of adoption records from some sources. Despite the new legislation some agencies may feel a need to cover their actions in the past.

In Conclusion:
I hope that these few sheets are helpful to the beginner in such searches. If nothing else it should point the way to finding further information. Good luck in your search!

This article was provided by:
Giles and Louise from http://www.blood-ties.com/

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