Are you an adopted adult? Do you have some link to the Isle of Man?
Are you looking for information about your adoption?
Some frequently asked questions:
1.Where can I find out about my adoption?
If you were born or adopted in the Isle of Man, contact us with as much information as you have already - including copies of any certificates you may have (for example your adoption certificate or your original birth certificate).
We may not have your adoption records, but we will be able to help you locate the adoption agency who does. Services on the Isle of Man differ slightly to those offered in the UK countries, and we can explain this to you – depending on your individual needs.
2. I have been told I need a copy of my original birth certificate. Why?
Receiving your original birth certificate can be a powerful experience – particularly if your forename was changed when you were adopted. It also forms the starting point in your search for information about your adoption and/or contact with your original family.
The original birth certificate (together with proof of your current identity) is usually required by adoption agencies prior to releasing information from their adoption files. This is to ensure we release sensitive information to the right person.
When the adoption law changed (in England in 1976 and on the Isle of Man in 1984), a clause was introduced allowing adopted adults to obtain a copy of their original birth certificates (so they could seek further information about their family of origin). This was something adopted adults had been requesting for some years.
As parents placing their children for adoption prior to those dates had been assured that the adoption records would remain sealed, it was felt that, prior to receiving the copy of their original birth certificate, adopted adults should be given the opportunity to talk about their adoption and consider the options available to them in the future – particularly if they were considering making contact with their birth family.
3. How do I get a copy of my birth original certificate?
If you were born in England and know your original name and place of birth, you can apply directly to the General Register Office (GRO) in Southport – either on line at www.gro.gov.uk, or by phone on 0151 4714830 (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
If you don’t know your original name, and were born in England, you need to apply, again through the GRO in Southport, for what is called "Access to Birth Records". On line, click the section marked "Adoption" on the contents page.
If you don’t know your original name and were born in the Isle of Man, contact us and we will talk you through the process. How you obtain the certificate (from the IOM Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages) will depend on when you were adopted and where you are living now.
It is not necessary for you to travel to the isle of Man to access your original birth certificate.
4. I’ve heard I have to have counselling. What’s that about?
This is not any form of “therapeutic” counselling – rather a session of advice and information. It is an opportunity for you to talk about your adoption and to make an informed decision about what you may want to do next – and the possible consequences of those actions.
5. Do I have to have counselling?
When adopted adults became entitled to receive their original birth certificates, many families (both birth and adoptive) who had been assured of complete secrecy surrounding their adoption felt vulnerable and exposed. To ensure that those receiving this information had had the opportunity of thinking through the possible consequences of any search, adults adopted before 11 November 1975 in England and Wales and before 1 January 1986 on the Isle of Man are required to have a session with a social worker to talk about these issues.
If you were adopted after these dates it is advisable (but not compulsory) that you attend for counselling, again to offer you the opportunity to talk through your particular circumstances and future plans.
6. When I come and see you will you have my birth certificate ready for me?
No. If you were born in England or Wales, we will have a special application form sent from the GRO for your original birth certificate, together with your original name and your mother’s name.
If you were born on the Isle of Man we see you, complete a required form, and then send you down to the Registry where they will provide you with your certificate at the front counter. We will talk to you about the impact seeing your certificate may have on you (particularly if you do not already know your original name).
7. How do I find my adoption records?
Contact us with a copy of your original birth certificate, your adoption certificate and any other information you have or have been told. We have a reference directory which gives details of where past adoption records are now held. We will help you locate yours.
In some cases, records no longer exist, or have been lost (particularly prior to 1950). If you were placed privately for adoption, there may be no records.
Early records are very limited and have very little personal information. Even where there is very little, we would encourage you to access your file. The impact of seeing early information can be very great.
8. Who else can access my adoption records?
Your birth mother (or father if you were legitimate at birth) could access information from the file about her/himself and information about you up to the time of your adoption (when you were legally still her/their child).
The father of an illegitimate child and other relatives can only access information recorded specifically about them.
9. Can I stop my birth family from tracing me through my adoption records?
You cannot stop anyone tracing you if they have found identifying information about you. The adoption agency is not allowed to release any identifying information to a birth relative, but can contact you on their behalf.
However, if your records are held in England or Wales, you can register a “veto” (either absolute or qualified) on your adoption file (held by the agency who placed your for adoption) that you desire no or limited contact, and indicate the same if you register with the Adoption Contact Register held by the GRO. Contact us for information about vetoes and how they operate.
There is no form of veto for those adopted on the Isle of Man, though you can record your wishes on your adoption file, together with reasons for your decision.
10. Will this cost anything?
Services to this point on the Isle of Man are free – other than the cost of your certificate. Elsewhere you may incur a charge.
11. What if I have other questions?
Please contact us and we will try to help you. The process at this stage feels complicated. Often having someone listen and explain the various stages and requirements can make the ‘journey’ feel less daunting.
It is also possible to make use of NORCAP, a specialist post adoption agency in England who work extensively with adopted adults and their families. Click on the link for details.
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