(Changed "Rating" to "Content".) |
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*'''Documents: Gather any documents the family has about the birth.''' | *'''Documents: Gather any documents the family has about the birth.''' | ||
**'''Amended birth certificate''' | **'''Amended birth certificate''' | ||
{{Block indent|An amended birth certificate, created after an adoption is finished, lists the names of the adoptive parents just as if the child had been born to them originally. |3}} | |||
{{Block indent|1=Many people will have an amended birth certificate, with no access to the original. About half of the states allow adults to have access to their original birth certificates. See [https://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/adult-adoptee-access-to-original-birth-certificates.aspx#:~:text=Colorado%2C%20Delaware%2C%20Illinois%2C%20Maryland,the%20information%20not%20be%20released. '''Adult Adoptee Access to Original Birth Certificates''']|2=3}} | |||
{{Block indent|*'''Delaware allows adoptees to request birth certificates unless the birth parent specifically requested that the information not be released.''' |2}} | |||
{{Block indent|*'''Hospital records''': Hospitals often retain birth registers and occasionally have medical information on children born there. Medical records regarding the person you are searching for may sometimes be obtained.}} | |||
===Researching Relevant State Laws=== | ===Researching Relevant State Laws=== | ||
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*[https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/ '''State Statutes Search, Child Welfare Information Gateway'''] | *[https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/ '''State Statutes Search, Child Welfare Information Gateway'''] | ||
{{Block indent|Select "Delaware" in the drop-down menu. |2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Then check the box for "Access to Adoption Records" under the "Adoption" list. |2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Click "Go!".|2}} | |||
===Filing Court Petitions=== | ===Filing Court Petitions=== | ||
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===Getting Help=== | ===Getting Help=== | ||
*[https://www.searchangels.org '''Search Angels''']<br> | *[https://www.searchangels.org '''Search Angels''']<br> | ||
{{Block indent|This is a service available in all states. It consists of individuals who have experience conducting searches for birth relatives and will conduct adoption searches free of charge. Search angels are not private detectives or paid professional searchers. They can also be found on adoption search blogs, social networking sites, search support groups, and other online forums. |2}} | |||
*'''Adoptee Search Support Groups:''' There are nonprofit organizations that help teach methods for searching. | *'''Adoptee Search Support Groups:''' There are nonprofit organizations that help teach methods for searching. | ||
{{Block indent|Click on [https://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/ '''National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search.''']|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Select "Delaware".|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Check the box "Birth Family and Adoptee Search Support Groups" under "Support Groups".|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Click: "GO".|2}} | |||
*'''Hiring a Professional Researcher:'''<br> | *'''Hiring a Professional Researcher:'''<br> | ||
**Professional searchers include certified independent search consultants, licensed private investigators who may or may not have adoption experience, nonprofit organizations that train in adoption searching, and experts in a field who may or may not have a certification (e.g., confidential intermediaries). | **Professional searchers include certified independent search consultants, licensed private investigators who may or may not have adoption experience, nonprofit organizations that train in adoption searching, and experts in a field who may or may not have a certification (e.g., confidential intermediaries). | ||
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To find contact information for a state agency or department that assists in accessing adoption records, go to Child Welfare Information Gateway's National Foster Care and Adoption Directory and search under State Reunion Registries/ConfidentialIntermediary Services: | To find contact information for a state agency or department that assists in accessing adoption records, go to Child Welfare Information Gateway's National Foster Care and Adoption Directory and search under State Reunion Registries/ConfidentialIntermediary Services: | ||
*[https://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/ '''State Reunion Registries/Confidential Intermediary Services'''] | *[https://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/ '''State Reunion Registries/Confidential Intermediary Services'''] | ||
{{Block indent|Select "Delaware" from the drop-down menu.|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Scroll down to "Adoption Search" and click the box for "State Reunion Registries/Confidential Intermediary Services".|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Click on "GO".|2}} | |||
====International Soundex Reunion Registry==== | ====International Soundex Reunion Registry==== | ||
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