|
Frequently Asked Questions
I've recently discovered that I was adopted, is this something you can help me with?
Yes. We suggest that you speak to an agency that offers post adoption
advice. We have leaflets which identify organisations nearest to you
who can help. Also see www.postadoptiononline.com for further details
on issues related to people who are adopted.
I would like to chat to someone at PACT but would prefer that you don�t contact me at home
We can assure you that your wishes would be respected. We understand
some people who contact us have not told other members of their family
about their adoption background. We would never put you confidentiality
in jeopardy. Also our telephone number cannot be retrieved through the
1471 facility. Perhaps you could use the advice facility on this
website when your family is out, or and use a computer outside of your
home?
Do you need to know who I am?
No. With PACT you can remain completely anonymous. It is entirely your
choice. The only thing we will ask you to share with us is your
[approximate!] age, because most of the things you are able to do are
dependent on when you were born.
My Adoption happened in another part of the country, could you help?
Yes. But there are some differences in law between adoptions which took
place in Scotland and those that took place in England and Wales. Good
places to start are by contacting the Local Authority where the
adoption took place so that you can access information and you can
obtain a copy of your original birth certificate. Also libraries hold
useful information, for example, Georgina Stafford's book titled 'Birth
Records' and published by BAAF is held in many local libraries. This
gives you good advice. You can also look at the article on Tracing on
www.postadoptiononline.com
My child was adopted 30 years ago, can I find him/her?
There are things you can do, some agencies will now provide a service
to birth relatives or you can request to add a letter to your child's
file. It is a good idea to contact an organisation that offers post
adoption advice in your area direct, as individual circumstances are
different in every situation. See also about the Adoption Contact
Register below.
What is the Adoption Contact Register?
The Adoption Contact Register is there to put adopted people and their
birth relatives in contact where this is what they both want. The
Office for National Statistics have a number of Booklets: Information
for Adopted People and Their Families, The Adoption Contact Register or
Access to birth Records. Their Web site is linked here.
What section of the Register do I join ?
Adopted people join Part One of the register.
Birth Parents and other relatives should join part two of the register.
If you are an adopted person who is looking for brothers and sisters
who were also adopted you will need to join both parts of the register.
Is there a charge to join the Adoption Contact Register?
It costs �15.00 for an adopted person to place an entry on the register and �30 for an entry made by a birth relative.
Where can I contact the Adoption Contact Register?
� In England, the address for the Adoption Contact Register in England is:
The Registrar General
The General Register Office
Adoptions Section, Contact Register
Smedley Hydro
Trafalgar Road, Birkdale
Southport PR8 2HH
The website is linked here.
� If you live in Scotland, you should contact:
Birth Link
21 Castle Street
Edinburgh
EH2 3DN
� If your adoption took place in Northern Ireland, enquiries should be made to:
The Registrar General
Oxford House
49/55 Chichester Street
Belfast
BT1 4HL
� You can contact NORCAP at:
NORCAP
112 Church Road
Wheatley
Oxfordshire
OX33 1LU
My child was adopted many years ago. Are there people like me who I can talk to?
Yes. Groups/organisations that offer support for people in your
situation are increasing. PACT can help you identify the nearest
sources of support to you.
I haven't told my family about a child that was adopted in the past. How shall I tell them?
This question often arises for people because of some significant
change in their personal life, for example following a birth or death,
or because someone has reached a certain age. And therefore the reasons
are very personal and individual. Again, we suggest that this
complicated decision to disclose in a person's life is discussed fully
with an organisation (including local authority), which offers post
adoption support and advice. This will allow you to firstly share, what
maybe, a huge emotional secret in safety and help unburden your many
anxieties. It should also help you to make a more informed decision
about how to proceed?
Will my adopted child be able to trace me if I do not use the agency or Adoption Contact Register?
Although it can be difficult to trace people from old addresses or from
birth records a determined person willing to take the time and trouble
has a good chance of succeeding. However, most adopted people are aware
of the possible difficulties and are careful not to cause any distress
or embarrassment. They are very careful and thoughtful if they do
decide to make contact. Mostly they will have had the opportunity to
talk with a counsellor about how their birth parents may feel about
being contacted.
If I want to avoid contact, what should I do ?
At present there is no direct provision for birth parents to register
their wish not to be contacted. You can write a letter to your child,
perhaps expressing openly why you do not want to be contacted or
explaining some of the details about their adoption and answering
questions that adopted people so often wonder about. That letter can be
passed on to your birth son or daughter by an intermediary or placed on
their adoption record file.
At what age can an adopted person have access to information about their adoption ?
Currently, an adopted person can obtain a copy of their original birth
certificate at the age of 18 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In
Scotland the minimum age is 16.
What information will an adopted person receive when they approach an agency for their birth records ?
Adopted people can obtain a copy of their original birth certificate this will contain:
� the birth name
� the date and place of birth
� the mothers name, address and occupation
� the name of the person who provided the information to the Register
� the fathers name and occupation if the parents were married to each other
Frequently information about the father is not usually recorded unless
both parents wanted it to be. An adopted person can also obtain the
name of the adoption agency which placed them if they were adopted
through an approved agency.
What do I do if I'm a birth relative of an adopted person, but not their parent?
Birth relatives, particularly brothers and sisters, try and get in
touch with family members. You can join the Adoption Contact Register
or contact the Adoption Agency, if one was involved. You should think
carefully about the implications of trying to trace and where possible
discuss this with the birth mother before hand, as your birth relative
may well want contact with their birth mother or father.
Does PACT deal with people who want to be adopters?
Yes. If you are thinking of becoming an Adoptive Parent/Family we would
suggest that, in the first instance, you contact us via the general
PACT website, linked here.
|
|
|
|
