Birth Parent and Adoption
If you are looking to find your birth parents or your old friends, then we can help you.
We know that taking the decision to find birth parents or lost friends is not one most people take lightly and can be a very emotional experience. We will do all we can to ensure your search will be as pleasant, and as positive an experience, as possible.
Please click below for more information.
- Finding Birth Parents & Old Friends
- Adoption - The Basics
- Adoption - The Law
- Adoption - Counselling
- Adoption Files
- Birth Parent FAQ
- Locate Birth Parents and Old Friends
Finding Birth Parents & Old Friends
TracingDirect - Bringing People Together from Hubbub Productions on Vimeo.
Our years of experience have taught us that there are two sides to any search (especially if there is another person involved should the search succeed). This part of the work will always be undertaken sensitively and remain confidential. We will never contact anyone without your knowledge and are always happy to act as intermediaries should contact be made. Throughout our search we will maintain contact with you and will update you on our findings as and when we make them. All we ask is that you give us as much information as you can and it is as accurate as possible
Adoption - The Basics
Over 70,000 adults, who were adopted, have received their original birth records since the Children Act 1975. The average age of applicants is 30 for both men and women — although more women than men make applications. In 2001 the Office of National Statistics projected that more than 25% of male adoptees and 40% of female adoptees will request a copy of their original birth records. Within four weeks of receiving their birth and adoption records 60% of people locate a birth relative and more than 80% state that having access to such information has answered important questions about their background.
Adoption - The Law
Any adopted person over the age of 18 (16 in Scotland) has had the right to access the information on their original birth certificate since the 1976 Adoption Act (or the Adoption [Scotland] Act 1978). In addition, the law was amended in 2005 to allow parents, who have put a child up for adoption, to try to find that child, assuming the child is 18 or older. To attempt to trace an adopted child under the stated age is illegal. Safeguards are in place if parents want to search for children put up for adoption. This kind of search will only proceed if the adoptee is willing for this to happen.
Adoption - Counselling
If you were adopted prior to 12 November 1975 the law states that you will have to attend counselling before being given your original birth details. If you were adopted after this date, counselling is optional rather than a legal requirement, but may still be helpful. The counselling is a single interview that gives you information on the basic rules of adoption. This allows you to ask questions and helps you understand your feelings. In particular yow will be given advice on how you and others may be affected by the searching and contact process. We do not provide counselling ourselves, although we can advise you on which organisations provide it.
Adoption Files
These are usually held by County Councils and adoption agencies. The County Council area in which you were adopted is a good place to start, although county boundaries may have changed with time. We can advise you on where and how to apply, but we cannot do this on your behalf. The only person entitled to information from your adoption file is you yourself. Adoption files kept by agencies that have ceased to act will usually have been passed to a County Council. These have been kept by that council for 75 years.
