Can a birth mother contact her adopted child is the topic of this weeks blog post.
Here is the short answer to your question.
My name is David Oates, I am the Head Researcher at Relative Connections, you can view my LinkedIn by clicking here. I am also the director of the adoption support agency which is regulated by Ofsted.
Answer – “If you are birth relative including a birth mother of someone who has been adopted. If they are now over the age of 18. If the adopted took place before 30th December 2005, then you are permitted to request the use of a registered intermediary service.”
Let’s discuss that in more detail
Tracing a birth relative when adoption is involved is tricky. It is tricky as there are laws and legislation in place to protect adopted people. That feels right. Adopted people should be protected. We also feel that done in the correct way; birth relatives can be helped too. We offer a ethical and legal adoption tracing service.
As a birth mother looking for an adopted child you have rights too. You also have a responsibility. So, it is crucial you follow the laws. These laws are there to protect you and your child.
Adopted Child or adopted Adult?
You cannot locate a child under eighteen years of age. For the purpose of this article when we refer to an adopted child, we are assuming they are now an adult.
So, what is the law around a birth mother contacting her adopted child?
Understanding different adoption via different Countries
The law changes in different countries even within the United Kingdom. In England and Wales adoption is regulated by Ofsted.
We’re going to focus on this. If you want help and support if your adoption took place anywhere else, please get in touch and we can signpost you to an appropriate agency.
Adoption law 2005
The regulations for England and Wales came into force in December 2005. They state that a birth relative of an adopted child can apply for an intermediary service to find and contact an adopted adult.
In applying for an intermediary service, you don’t get given the personal details for the adopted person. Instead, an intermediary agency will provide a service to work for you.
They will obtain, via an adoption records search the relevant adoption papers.
This key piece of research makes finding an adopted adult possible. The intermediary agency will use the information within the adoption records to locate the adopted adult.
Contacting an adopted adult
Again, this would be done through the intermediary agency. They can offer you and your adopted adult the emotional support required.
The agency is not allowed to share the personal details about the adopted person.
They are allowed to access that information though.
So that they can check if it is ok to find and contact that person but also to get the information, they need to go away and trace the person to their current address.
Adoption law was developed to protect the identity of the adopted person. It can’t be released unless you have the consent of the adopted person. There is an exception.
Exceptions include,
- If the adopted person has passed away.
Even then, it is complicated as you have to consider the adopted persons adopted family and the consequences of informing birth relatives about them.
People’s data has to be protected and rightly so.
So, if you are birth relative including a birth mother of someone who has been adopted. If they are over the age of 18. And if they were adopted before the 30th December 2005 then you are permitted to find an intermediary service to find and contact them for you.
Ofsted Registered Intermediary services
In the UK there are only a handful of intermediary providers carrying out this complex work.
You need to find one that is an Ofsted Registered provider of intermediary and adoption services.
Joanna North Associates are a good example of that.
Adoption Contact Register
If you are a birth relative looking for an adopted person, it is worth thinking about is the adoption contact register. It’s a good place to start and you can register your details on it.
If the person you are looking for is on there with a wish to provide contact, then in theory that can facilitated quite quickly.
The most efficient way to find an adopted person
The fastest most efficient way is via a professional intermediary service such as they one provided by us in conjunction with Joanna North Associates.
For more information on that you can contact us on 0113 282 5900.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this short article on whether or not a birth mother can contact her adopted child.