Support for adopted adults

Support services for adopted adults who wish to access information

We recognise that many adopted adults would like more information about their early life and to explain why they were adopted. Adoption Now provides a support service for adopted adults who may wish to access information from their adoption record. This service is available to those over 18 years old who live in one of the Adoption Now areas (Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale or Tameside). If you are currently living outside of our region, you should initially seek advice from your local regional adoption agency (RAA) or adoption support team.

In order for us to complete a search for your adoption records we will first need to confirm:

• your birth name
• the name of the local authority or adoption agency that placed you for adoption. If you do not know your birth name, we recommend that you to apply to the General Register Office (GRO) to request your birth information (BIBA) before contacting us

For all adopted adults we will offer you a consultation meeting prior to you receiving your information. This is a session where we can discuss the motivation for your search, help you to make sense of the historical context of adoption and ensure you have appropriate support. We would also use this meeting to verify photographic identification to ensure confidentiality, for example, a passport or driving licence and evidence of your current address.

We have some frequently asked questions below about the records provided by Adoption Now, but if you wish to speak to a worker for advice regarding accessing adoption information please contact us on:

• Telephone: 01204 336097
• Email: adoptionsupport@adoptionnow.org.uk

What information will my adoption records contain?

Adoption records vary enormously depending on the year that they were written. Older records often contain less information. The adoption records in our area are held in numerous formats, such as paper, electronic, and microfiche.

Adoption records may include the following:

• information about where and when you were born
• information about birth relatives, although it's possible for there to be very little information about paternity or siblings born after your adoption
• the reasons and decision making around your adoption
• medical history (this is often very limited). The allocated wortker will prepare a summary report of the information contained in the adoption record

We endeavour to share as much information as we possibly can to help answer any questions. Please note that some third party and protected information will be removed. In some cases, we may be unable to locate adoption records. This may be because they were previously destroyed. Until 1975 there was no legislation to stipulate for how long and how adoption records should be kept. We can support and advise you in this situation too. For instance, we may be able to apply to the court on your behalf to access any adoption court records.

How long will I have to wait to receive my information?

The adoption regulations state that we are required to give priority to cases where the adoption order was granted before 12 November 1975 or where you or your relative may be elderly or terminally ill. This may mean that some younger adopted adults may have to wait slightly longer to receive their information.

We also review all requests regularly and prioritise according to:

• the date your request was initially made to us and
• where your adoption records are held

It often takes between 3-9 months from your initial request to receiving information from your adoption record.

We do not directly hold the adoption records and as a consequence do not have control over all aspect of the timescales to obtain those records. We understand how important this information is to adopted adults and will endeavour to keep you updated regarding the progress of your request.

Can you support with tracing and contact with birth family?

We know that many adopted adults want to access their adoption records to get information about their early life, while others want to make links with their birth family.

We would recommend that the best course of action is to ask an OFSTED registered intermediary agency to search and contact them on your behalf to ensure all parties including the adopted adult and the birth family are supported within this process.

We are not a designated intermediary or tracing service, although we will be able to provide you with details of services that will help you regarding this if required.

Support organisations and useful links

CoramBAAF offers guidance about tracing family members and provides contact details for agencies that offer intermediary services: (Please note that we are not responsible for the content of any external websites listed).

First Family Support PAC-UK for birth parents and relatives provide support and advice for birth family members whose child has been adopted.

The Adoption Search Reunion website provides information and advice for adult adoptees searching for their birth records and wishing for contact with birth relatives.

The Adoption Contact Register is useful for anyone wishing to register their wishes (and contact details) about contact with an adopted person or birth family members.

The General Register Office (GRO) should be contacted if you are an adult adoptee who does not have a copy of and wish to request your original birth certificate. We also recommend that if you do not know the name of the court where the adoption order was made or the name of the agency involved in your adoption then you should contact the GRO to complete a 'Birth Information Before Adoption' form prior to contacting the local authority.

For advice regarding records and tracing contact FamilyConnect. They can procide detailed independent information and advice from Family Action (PAC-UK) regarding support for adopted adults and care leavers.

For adopted adults who were adopted from overseas contact the International Adoption Agency.