Advertisements
Welcome to the Search and Reunion Message Board!
The State of Virginia has a “Confidential Intermediary” search program that will locate and contact birth relatives:
Identifying Information: Identifying information is provided through the confidential intermediary system with the approval of the Commissioner of Social Services.
Confidential Intermediary: Adopted adults age 18 or older may use the confidential intermediary system to search for birth parents. For those adoptions finalized after July 1, 1994, the birth parents and birth siblings can use the confidential intermediary system to search for an adopted adult age 21 or older and adoptive parents of adopted adult under age 18 may use system to search for birth relative(s).
Contact: For non-identifying information and for use of the confidential intermediary system, contact the Virginia Department of Social Services in Richmond at (804) 726-7523.
Adoption related information and records:
Virginia Department Of Social Services
Division of Family Services
730 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 21219-1849
(804) 726-7000
Non-Identifying Information: Adopted adults age 18 or older may obtain non-identifying information.
Original Birth Certificate: An adoptee must petition the court in which the adoption was finalized.
Other great websites to check out:
[url=http://www.adoptionchat.com]Adoption.com Forums[/url]
[url=http://www.adoptionlists.com]Adoption Lists - Photolistings, Support Groups, Mailing Lists - Agency, Exchange, Failed, Feel, Find[/url]
[url=http://www.adoption.com]Adoption.com - Information on International, Domestic, Child & Agency Adoptions, Stories, Laws -[/url]
[url=http://www.adopting.org]Adopting - Adopt a Baby, Child, Infants, Kids, Older, Services, International, Information China -[/url]
[url=http://registry.adoption.com/]Adoption Registry - Records, Reunion Registries, Adoptees, Search Reunite[/url]
Like
Share
We were told that the only way to get "identifying information" is if the birth parent approved it, so kinda at that point it doesnt do you any good anyway because you have already found the best source for the information. I have been searching for 9 years now with very little being uncovered. I have already dealt with Richmond social services who handeled my adoption and it seems like Va is getting to be just one big vicious circle, I have doubts that I will ever know...but that doesnt mean I will give up.
Advertisements
timari
We believe that my husband and his siblings have a sister born in 1969 at MCV and given up for adoption at time of birth. It seems that all hospital records for that time period were destroyed in a fire. We know this because we were recently reunited with another sister who was also born and adopted out at MCV in 1970. Where do we go from here? We know that this possible sibling was also a girl but have no more information than bmom's maiden name.
Timari
I`m searching for my birth sister..She was born April 25,1968 in Anderson,Indiana. Community Hosptial.. Birth mothers name is Deborah Blanton... Adoptive Fathers birth place is Virginia... I`m your sister I was born July,1966..Please if you read this or you know who she is tell her to contact her sister Tammy...I would love to meet her..... My e-mail is brown_eyedbabe66@yahoo.com
Advertisements
chris brandt
my husband received all non-id info. In one area they did not black out the name of **. Born inDC and adopted in Va. It appears that perhaps ** name is false. Would VA do this? I have heard DC did this in 1959, Any thoughts or suggestions.
<< I have already dealt with Richmond social services who handeled my adoption and it seems like Va is getting to be just one big vicious circle, I have doubts that I will ever know >>
I think one problem is that many of the people we reach within the system are simply government workers, (probably underpaid, maybe not that well trained) who don't have a particular investment in helping you get to a resolution. They're just watching the clock and want the callers to GO AWAY.
The woman I got in Social Services told me there would be no records for my mother's adoption, as it was handled by an agency and then finalized in a different state. Then when we saw the non-identifying information file from the agency, there is OF COURSE correspondence with the Richmond state office! They had to approve a child being placed out of state! It even says, "We will keep this file open until we hear back from you."
I am too grumpy to wrestle more with them at the moment, and have moved on to the state where the adoption was finalized. But they are shredding my LAST NERVE!!!
Adoptions can be handled differently, depending on the agency, the states involved, and the individuals who processed them. (Also, the laws in effect when the adoption took place.)
There might be files with a maternity home, an adoption agency, the Social Services Office for DC, the Social Services Office for VA, and the probate court of VA. The most complete file might be with the VA probate court, who I would think made the final decision and approved the adoption.
You can begin by making inquiries to each possible agency, not asking FOR information, but just feeling out if they HAVE information.
You also want to look for someone in each of those states (perhaps from these boards) who's familiar with the local offices, laws and customs.
Best wishes, and good luck!
Advertisements
I was going through my own baby album and found the Certificate of Birth.....Preaently I have filled out all the releases and everything and got information from the Commonwealth of Virginia that they are actively searcing. My birth shows Washington DC but the adoption shows Arlington VA.....Geographically they are close but I have been searching in Washington DC should I also register in VA boards?
Advertisements
The good thing about applying to access files in both states is that even if you get only the "non-identifying" information...which is adoption paperwork with specific names, etc., blocked out...the two different offices will prepare the copies for you in different ways. One of them might mistakenly fail to block out something (a date, the last letter in a name, a location) that the other office has.
You are basically unraveling a mystery, and you want as much evidence as you can gather, regardless of how imperfect it is. It is often by combining these imperfect fragments that you get closer to seeing the whole picture.
ISO of baby girl I (your amom and I agreed on your first name)named Kaitlin. Your dob is 8/28/89 and to my knowledge you are still living at the same address in Richmond, VA. You have your sister there (Brittany) but also another sister. You were born in Newport, RI at Newport Hospital.
Patiently waiting for you.