Arizona Adoption Research: Difference between revisions

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*Check out the '''Clerk of the Circuit Court''' in the county the adoption took place for early adoption records. A Wiki page for the county will give contact information. Ask for searches of '''probate records and guardianship records'''.

*[https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Roman_Catholic_Church_in_the_United_States '''Catholic Church Records:'''] In the case Roman Catholic adoptions, ask for baptismal information. Sacramental records are available to involved parties and sometimes contain identifying information on birth family members.

*'''Maternity Home Records:''' Records were created if a birth mother lived in a maternity home. A maternity home, girls’ home, or work home was a place for pregnant women to live and sometimes work. Many unmarried women were sent away from home during their pregnancies to avoid a hometown’s prying eyes. Check local and state historical societies and archives to see if maternity home records are preserved.

:::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.  

:::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''']

:::In other states, an original birth certificate may be obtained through a '''court petition.'''  

:*'''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===

====Understand the difference between identifying and nonidentifying information.====

<br>

*Access to information is not always restricted to birth parents and adoptees. Approximately 37 states allow '''birth siblings of the adoptee''' to seek and release identifying information upon mutual consent.<ref>"Access to Adoption Records", Child Welfare Information Gateway, https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/infoaccessap.pdf, accessed 11 September 2020.</ref>

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*[https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/ '''State Statutes Search, Child Welfare Information Gateway''']  

::Then check the box for "Access to Adoption Records" under the "Adoption" list.  

::Click "Go!".

===Filing Court Petitions===

*If you were adopted, you may petition the court to '''open sealed adoption records'''. Whether this is successful may depend on the state, the judge, the reason given for the request, and other factors. Medical necessity will be the most successful reason used. If the birth parents are deceased, petitions are usually successful.

*Petitioning the court '''does not require an attorney’s services''', although attorneys may be helpful.  

**'''deny''' the petition completely,

**'''appoint an intermediary''', such as the original adoption agency or a professional searcher, to locate the birth parents and determine whether they want to release information or be reunited (in some states).<ref>"Searching for Birth Relatives", Child Welfare Information Gateway, https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/f_search.pdf#page=1&view=Introduction, accessed 11 September 2020.</ref>

===How to File===

Contact the county clerk where the adoption took place and ask for a petition form. File the completed form with the county court. A judge will review the petition and may require an interview. Attorney services are not required.

*[https://www.searchangels.org '''Search Angels''']<br>

::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.  

::Click on [https://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/ '''National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search.''']

::Check the box "Birth Family and Adoptee Search Support Groups" under "Support Groups".

::Click: "GO".

*'''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).  

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''']

::Scroll down to "Adoption Search" and click the box for "State Reunion Registries/Confidential Intermediary Services".

::Click on "GO".

====International Soundex Reunion Registry====

==For Further Reading==

==References==

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