Obtaining Children's Records and Pre-Adoption History

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Parenting Your Adoptive Child: Birth to Adulthood

Types of Adoptive Families

Talking About Adoption

Understanding Potential Challenges

Obtaining Children's Records and Pre-Adoption History

Legal Considerations for Adoptive Parents

Searching for Birth Relatives

Funding and Financial Assistance

For more information
on children waiting
for families in
the U.S. foster care
system, see

AdoptUSKids

For information on child abuse and neglect, see

National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information

Obtaining Children's Records and Pre-Adoption History

How to access your child's medical records and past placement in foster care homes and orphanages, and laws and legal information regulating release of records.

Access to Family Information by Adopted Persons

Series Title: State Statutes Series 2004

Author(s): National Adoption Information Clearinghouse

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Year Published: 2004 - 4 pages

In nearly all States, adoption records are sealed and withheld from public inspection after the adoption is finalized. Most States, therefore, have procedures by which parties to an adoption may obtain nonidentifying and identifying information about an adopted person and the adopted person's birth relatives from an adoption record. This resource, current through June 2004, provides definitions of nonidentifying and identifying information, an overview of who may access such information, and information about access to original birth certificates.

International Soundex Reunion Registry
A mutual consent reunion registry for persons desiring a reunion with next-of-kin.

Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child: A Fact Sheet for Families

Author(s): National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (HHS)

Availability: View Publication
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Year Published: 2003 - 6 pages

This fact sheet explains why it is important to obtain background information about a prospective child. It discusses where a family might find background information, what questions to ask about the child's medical, family, social, and placement history, and why information may not be available. It includes a list of resources for more information.

Where to Write for Vital Records
Service of the National Center for Health Statistics.

Guidelines for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
Clarification regarding the impact of HIPAA by the New York State Citizen's Coalition for Children.

A Service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

For more information, contact:
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
330 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20447
Phone: (703) 352-3488 or (888) 251-0075
Fax: (703) 385-3206
E-mail: naic@caliber.com

Updated on July 15, 2004 by webmaster_naic@caliber.com.



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Select a State to find: State adoption and foster care contacts, reunion registry information, support groups for those involved in the search process, and more.

Results present select resources from the National Adoption Directory Search, which you can use to broaden or narrow your search.

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