Fellow Virginia Searchers.. Questions 4U

Here's some information that I would like to share with you. I got it from a yahoo adoption group. Beginning your search in Virginia - What you need to know For your convenience, all of the links in this document will open in a new window ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Access To Adoption Records From the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, free downloadable/printable publications. ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- It is very important that you. . . . . . . . . Contact The Virginia Department of Social Services. For more information contact: Jackie Gill or Susanne Ashford Permanency Unit 7 North Eighth Street Richmond VA 23219-3301 804-726-7526 Obtaining Non-ID: Adopted adults age 18 or older may obtain non-identifying information. (Non-Identifying information usually consists of the adoption report taken by the agency with all of the identifying information (names/addresses) either cut out with an exacto knife or blacked out with a magic marker) Obtaining Identifying Information: Identifying information is provided through the confidential intermediary system with the approval of the Commissioner of Social Services. Using a Confidential Intermediary Service: 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). Obtaining an Original Birth Certificate: An adoptee must Petition the court in which the adoption was finalized. Contact: For non-identifying information and for use of the confidential intermediary system, contact the Virginia Department of Social Services in Richmond at (800) 362-3678 or (804) 726-7528. ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- If you would like to initiate a search for birth family. . . . . . . . Click here to Print and Complete an Adoptee Application for Disclosure Form You will find directions on how to do this within the form. In order to print the form, you will need to download the FREE Acrobat Reader here if you don't already have it. Most people do so I would suggest trying the link above first before downloading, however, it won't hurt anything if you download the updated version. Returned Completed, notarized form to: Permanency Unit 7 North Eighth Street Richmond VA 23219-3301 The agency that handled the adoption will be designated to search. The agency may charge a fee for the search to be paid in advance. The agency has 8 months to conduct the search, but an extension can be granted on good cause with your permission. ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- If the adoption was handled by a private Adoption Agency, be sure to contact the agency that was involved, registration forms and some services may be available through them. Here is a yellow pages search for adoption agencies in Virginia. Click on the city of interest. [url]http://phonebook.superpages.com/yellowpages/C-Adoption+Agencies+%26+Services/S-VA/[/url] ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- For informational purposes, I'm including a link to the Virginia Code Section pertaining to the release of identifying information. Please don't worry if this is a little hard to understand. You should be able to get a clear understanding of what you need to know by contacting the Department of Social Services numbers listed above. Virginia Code Section 63.2-1247. Disclosure to birth family; adoptive parents; medical, etc., information; exchange of information; open records in parental placement adoptions. [url]http://leg1.state.va.us/000/src.htm[/url] In the blank, type the words Disclosure to birth family and click submit. Click on the one result you will get and you will be able to read the entire text of the code section.

I am with you girl6/8/76...I too was born and adopted in Virginia but back in 1974.I was lucky to have adopted parents that let me know what agency I came from. The best thing to do to find out what agency handled your adoption is to ask your adopted parents. blankenb4 had very good advice for you. I have already gone to my agency and paid to have my non identifying information opened. You will have a fee but it is worth it in the end. I am hoping to find out something more through this web page instead of spending more money for the agency to do a search that I could do for free. Good Luck!!!!

Thats all well and good info, but it all states "if the adoption happened after 1994", it gives you no information about adoptions prior to that. What are we supposed to do if it happened in 1969?

I was adopted in 1971. I started my search for my birth mom 2 years ago. If you go to the Virginia Department of Social Services website ([url]www.dss.virginia.gov[/url]). Click on Forms/Applications tab. Go down to children..under adoption you will see a form entitle Adoptee Application for Disclosure (form #032-02-018). Print this form, fill it out and sign it in front of a notary. Once this form is completed, mail it to the address on the form. ( I sent my overnight mail.) Within about 7-10 days of the Va Dept of Social Services receiving it, they will reply back to you in writing that your request has been rec'd and your request and file has been sent to the agency or department that handled the adoption. They say that the search could take up to 8 months and to not call during that time. (I called the agency under the pretense that I wanted to know how much the search was going to cost.) It took all of 2 months from the day I mailed the form. I called the Virginia Department of Social Services and the lady that I spoke to (Jackie Gill) pulled my information right up and advised that my birthmother was looking for me. You may want to give them a call at 804-726-7526. When you talk to them tell them that you are interested in finding out non-id information but if at all possible you would like to know who she is. You may get lucky and be told that your bmom is looking for you just as I was told. Please keep me posted. Please e-mail me at Leadfut2002@verizon.net to let me know when you called or if you have filled out the form. Also, do you know what agency your adoption was done through???? Was it the County of Henrico??? Have you been able to find any legal paper pertaining to your adoption?? Please e-mail me to let me know.