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askcab - Tracing your birth parents
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Tracing your birth parents
When you, as an adopted child reach 18, you have a right to apply for details from the Registrar General which will enable you to obtain a copy of your birth certificate. But be warned there is no absolute right for an adopted person to receive these details.
If you were adopted on or after 12 November 1975 and you already know your birth name and birth mother's name, you can get a copy of your birth certificate directly from the General Register Office or Registrar's Office for the district where you were registered after birth. The Register General will inform you that counselling services are available and it would be advisable for you to have counselling and support.
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Change of name
A child's surname and/or forenames can be changed on adoption. The adopters must state on the court forms the child's names as shown on your birth certificate and the names by which the child is to be known following the adoption.
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Tracing birth parents and relatives
If you were adopted you may wish to trace a member of your birth family, for example, your birth mother or other birth relative.
You can:-
· apply for a copy of your birth certificate
· follow up the name(s) and address(es) of birth parent(s) from the birth certificate, for example, looking at telephone books, electoral registers and local church records. However, caution must be urged before taking steps to contact a birth parent or relative and support/counselling is advisable
· provided you is over 18 place your name on the adoption contact register
· contact the court where the adoption record order was made, to see if you can see any reports
· check local social services records
· contact the adoption agency, if any, which was involved
· check the Register of Marriages
· check any names through the Register of Deaths, for example, a grandparent's death will have an address for the person who registered it.
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The adoption contact register
The adoption contact register is held by the General Register Office. The register is in two parts. The first part is a register of adopted persons and the second part is a register of relatives who want to contact an adopted person. The register is not open for public inspection.
Someone who wishes to be included on the register should contact the General Register Office, requesting the necessary application forms. A fee is payable.
A client who is adopted can be included on the register as long as:-
· you are aged 18 or over; and
· your birth record is held by the Registrar General; and
· you have a copy of your birth certificate or enough information to obtain one; and
· the adoption took place in England or Wales
There is a fee payable for an adopted person to be included on the register.
A birth relative who wants to contact an adopted person can be included on the register as long as:-
· they are aged 18 or over; and
· they are a relative (related by blood, or marriage) of the adopted person; and
· they have enough information to obtain a copy of the adopted person's birth certificate; and
· the adoption took place in England or Wales.
· There is a fee payable for a relative of an adopted person to be included on the register.
If the register contains the names of both an adopted person and a relative who wants to contact you, the General Register office will send the adopted person the name and address of the relative. The General Register office will also notify the relative that your name has been passed on to an adopted person but the office will not give your the actual name and address of the adopted person. The adopted person then decides whether or not to contact the relative.
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Tracing a child who has been adopted
As a birth parent, or other birth relative, you may want to trace child who was adopted. In addition to being included on the adoption contact register you could contact your local authority or adoption agency. Many local authorities are able to provide a service enabling birth parents/relatives to gain information about or possible contact with their adult adopted sons and daughters. Some voluntary organisations may be able to offer help and support.
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