Adoptees and birth parents often both desire a reunion.
People who have been adopted often want to know more about their birth parents and heritage. In some cases, information about genetic conditions in biological relatives can help with life and health planning for the adoptee. In other cases, a birth parent finds himself or herself in different circumstances and has an interest in learning more about his or her biological child. There are a number of ways to approach unsealing and looking at adoption records that can range from simply asking for public records to hiring a confidential intermediary.
Contact Agency or State Responsible for Adoption
The first step in searching for your adoption records is to contact the adoption agency or the state where the adoption occurred. Most adoption records are sealed, but in some cases they may be public records. If yours are, your search for your adoption records will be very simple. The process for making a formal request for records will vary. Contact the agency to check on its policies and the procedure for releasing adoption records.
Reunion Registries
There are a number of registries, both nonprofit and commercial, that connect adoptees with birth parents. People who have given children up for adoption and people who were adopted can register with reunion registries on the off chance that both parties are interested in a reunion. Information that helps with reunion registries includes the following: the state where the adoption occurred, the year of the adoption, and the name of the agency that facilitated the adoption.
Confidential Intermediary
Many states and jurisdictions allow for confidential intermediaries who are prohibited from revealing the identity of the adoptee or birth parents until both parties agree to a reunion. Confidential intermediaries have more access to sealed documents and can often contact either a birth parent on behalf of an adoptee or an adoptee on behalf of a birth parent. Because the confidential intermediary is prohibited from revealing identities, he or she can explore either party's receptiveness to the idea of a reunion.
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