Some adoptees are outraged by the fine print on the so-called “opening” of Indiana’s adoption records. As of July 1st, adoptees 21 and older became eligible to request “identifying information” through the indiana adoption Matching Registry. The requested information would include a copy of the original birth certificate. The law provides birth parents the opportunity to submit a contact preference form that prohibits the release of information to the adoptee for a selected period of time or forever. That’s right, a birth parent can deny identifying information to an adoptee even after the birth parent is dead.
If a birth parent denies the adoptee their identifying information for a certain period of time, he or she will be contacted 90 days prior to the expiration of the time frame to allow another contact preference form to be submitted. A contact preference form that allows communication can specify the use of an intermediary. Any “non-release form” that was filed before the new law went into effect will continue to be honored.
“Identifying information” refers to any name that a party to an adoption has used or is using, any address that a party to an adoption has used or is using, the original certificates of birth stored at the state department of health with evidence of adoption, and any other info, except the medical history that may identify a person as a party to an adoption as a birth parent, an adoptee, or an adoptive parent.
Persons eligible to request “identifying information” are adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, a spouse or relative of a deceased adoptee, or spouse of a relative of a deceased birth parent. The person making the request should submit both Form 47897 for non-identifying information and Form 47896 for identifying information. There is no fee, but a government ID is required. Due to high volume, a request may take 12-16 weeks to receive.
