| On 30 December 2005, Section 98 of the Adoption | | | | Contact Register is a government resource that |
| and Children Act 2002 came into force in England and | | | | contains the contact information of adopted adults |
| Wales, giving birth relatives of adopted persons the | | | | and birth relatives who would like to reconnect with |
| legal right to use intermediary services to locate and | | | | one another. It also contains information about which |
| attempt contact with their adopted relatives. | | | | specific birth relatives an adopted adult is willing to |
| According to the Act, birth relatives include the birth | | | | have contact with, if certain individuals are specified. |
| parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, and | | | | It is important to note that both an adopted adult |
| aunts of adopted persons. Section 98 also gives | | | | and a birth relative must consent to being contacted |
| adopted adults the legal right to use intermediary | | | | for the exchange of information to occur. An |
| services to locate and attempt contact with their | | | | intermediary agency will only release identifying |
| birth relatives. | | | | information about an individual if that person has |
| Until the early 1970s, many unmarried mothers were | | | | consented to such a release. |
| forced by their families to place their children for | | | | If an adopted adult does not want to be contacted |
| adoption against their wishes. Section 98 gives these | | | | by birth relatives, he or she can register a veto with |
| women and their relatives the opportunity to trace | | | | the Adoption Contact Register. The adopted person |
| their adopted family members and find out what has | | | | also can register the veto with the appropriate |
| happened to them since the adoptions took place. It | | | | adoption agency, which must keep the veto on |
| also works the other way, enabling adopted adults to | | | | record. This way, if an intermediary agency ever |
| locate and learn about their birth families. In both | | | | contacts the adoption agency about that adopted |
| cases, the tool for tracing relatives is intermediary | | | | individual, the adoption agency can explain the |
| services. | | | | conditions of the veto. A qualified veto allows an |
| Intermediary services can be provided by registered | | | | intermediary agency to approach the adopted person |
| adoption agencies and registered adoption support | | | | only on behalf of a specific birth relative or only |
| agencies. Such agencies investigate the identities and | | | | under specific circumstances. An absolute veto, on |
| locations of sought-after family members and then | | | | the other hand, does not allow the intermediary |
| approach the found individuals to determine if they | | | | agency to approach the adopted person under any |
| would like to have contact with the relatives who | | | | circumstances. An adopted adult can modify or |
| initiated the searches. | | | | revoke his or her veto at any time. |
| The first step an intermediary agency takes when it | | | | Once an intermediary agency succeeds in matching a |
| receives an application for intermediary service is to | | | | birth relative with an adopted adult, the agency acts |
| verify that both the birth relative and the adopted | | | | as a liaison to exchange the information between the |
| person are 18 years old or older. It then must obtain | | | | parties. From there, the reunited individuals can |
| information about the adopted adult and the | | | | choose how they would like to proceed with their |
| circumstances of the adoption from a variety of | | | | contact and possible reunion. |
| official sources, including the adoption agency that | | | | Individuals who were separated by adoption and later |
| performed the adoption (or the agency that has the | | | | reunited through an intermediary agency may want |
| adoption records), the Registrar General, and the | | | | to consider having a DNA test performed to confirm |
| involved courts. Additionally, the agency must | | | | their biological relatedness. A variety of genetic |
| determine how the adopted adult, the adoptive | | | | tests--from maternity and paternity tests to |
| parents, and any other interested parties feel about | | | | siblingship studies and grandparentage tests--are |
| being approached by the intermediary agency (i.e., | | | | available today to help people answer questions |
| Are they interested in being found, or are they willing | | | | about their family relationships. After waiting so many |
| to establish contact with the birth relatives?). | | | | years to find one another, adopted persons and their |
| Once it has collected all this information, the | | | | birth relatives may be able to find the peace of mind |
| intermediary agency must record it with the | | | | they've been looking for with the aid of intermediary |
| appropriate adoption agency or the Registrar | | | | services and DNA tests. |
| General's Adoption Contact Register. The Adoption | | | | |