I’m just passing this on for those of you in NC about the new law about connecting adoptees and birthparents through confidential intermediaries that goes into effect January 1, 2008. It is being set up to be run through adoption agencies and I just wanted to pass on info on a very trustworthy agency (Children’s Home Society) that is already taking information for people so they can start the process as soon as the guidelines and start date begin.
The NC General Assembly has recently passed legislation that will allow licensed child placing agencies to act as confidential intermediaries for adoptees, age 21 and older, and birth parents who wish to provide updated medical information. If both parties want additional information or possible contact, then identifying information can be shared with mutual consent. In addition, a licensed child placing agency may agree to act as a confidential intermediary for the adoptive parents of a minor adoptee to obtain non-identifying birth family health information. The new law becomes effective January 1, 2008.
Guidelines from the State Department of Social Services about implementation of the program will be forthcoming in the next several months. If you are interested in intermediary services, CHS is currently accepting letters of request with the understanding that no action can be taken until after 1/1/08. A fee will be charged for this service but the amount has not been set. You may send a letter stating that you are interested in intermediary services to Post Adoption, Children’s Home Society of NC, PO Box 14608, Greensboro, NC 27415. Please include your full name, date of birth, a copy of your driver’s license or other picture ID, and all contact information including an e-mail address if available. If you are an adoptee, we need your adoptive parent’s names. If you are a birth parent, include the name you were using at the time you received services through the agency.
Excerpt from HB 445:
A child placing agency licensed by the Department or a county department of social services may agree to act as a confidential intermediary for a biological parent or adult adoptee or adult lineal descendant of a deceased adoptee, without appointment by the court pursuant to G.S. 48‑9‑105, in order to obtain and share nonidentifying birth family health information or facilitate contact or share identifying information with adult adoptees, adult lineal descendants of deceased adoptees, and biological parents with the written consent of all parties to the contact or the sharing of information. Further, a child placing agency licensed by the Department or a county department of social services may agree to act as a confidential intermediary for the adoptive parents of a minor adoptee, without appointment by the court pursuant to G.S. 48‑9‑105, to obtain and share nonidentifying birth family health information. An agency that agrees to provide confidential intermediary services may charge a reasonable fee for doing so, which fee must be pursuant to written agreement signed by the individual to be charged. The Division shall establish guidelines for confidential intermediary services.”
http://www.chsnc.org/b_adoption_services/legislation.html
December 4, 2007 at 9:43 am
Thank you for posting this. I had just contacted Childrten’s Home Society in this regard and was told that they are serving those people who were adopted through their agency first, and that there would be considerable delay before they could consider helping others who were not. Also, they made me aware of a glitch in the law; if the birth mother is deceased the process can go no further. Hopefully, with the right assistance, this can be corrected by the legislature.
December 4, 2007 at 10:49 am
Goodness gracious, that’s horrible about that glitch. I hope that they do correct that. I know in many cases they had to have a birth father to sign the papers to place the child, so even if the birthmom has passed away I don’t see why they can work to find the birthdad.
I understand their overall point that deceased people can’t give consent but I wish they’d allow extended birthfamilies to register - perhaps the executor of the estate should be able to fill to make the connection.
My hope is that this effort is just a step towards a full registry and that birth parents can register before the child is 18 - heck let them register when they place the child if the adoption isn’t open.
January 12, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I am Roberta Macdonald, Chairwoman of the NC Coalition for Adoption Reform (NCCAR). As the organization which actually drafted the above legislation, I would like to post here and get the word out to anyone who is still interested in getting their original birth certificate.
In answer to Michelle (Mom). your hope for a registry, I hope will die after what I have to say. Registries DO NOT WORK. The deceased and illiterate do not register. That leaves a party always hanging.
Access to original birth certificates IS NOT about REUNIONS. It IS about a RIGHT to a document which every other citizen is entitled to EXCEPT the adoptee.
If there is anyone who reads this in time, we need YOUR WARM body in Raleigh on January 28, February 13, March 5 or April 16 from 2pm - 4pm at the House Select Committee meetings on Adoptee Birth Ceritificates.
Please come and show your support for the rights of others.
Roberta Macdonald
Chairwoman of NC Coalition for Adoption Reform
NC State Representative for the American Adoption Congress
May 19, 2008 at 3:43 pm
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June 27, 2008 at 3:09 pm
The laws have changed but getting the agency (Social Services) to help you & act as intermediary is not easy. This law was supposed to make things easier. Ha! I found out the county my child was adopted in, on my own. Social Services which helped me with my adoption didn’t seem to know what to do when I contacted them. There is a fee but they did not know how much, or who was supposed to act as mediator. I had to tell them what I had learned. I did not get a, I’m here to help you response. After talks with the agency on several occasions they said I would have to go before a “review board” to determine if I could be given any info. or could give info. on me to give to my daughter. Don’t expect them to be friendly or helpful > because I certainly got the feeling this was something they didn’t really want to do. I hope if you go through Social Services that it will not be Stanly Co. you have to deal with. Wish me luck as I will be consistenetly seeking truth. Now it makes me wonder what they’re trying to hide. If you read the laws the sealing of adoption papers was mainly to help the birth mothers right to privacy. It seems to me Social Services wants to make me trash.
July 16, 2008 at 4:45 pm
UPDATE> I finally got to meet with the agency who handled my birth daughter’s adoption. It was a God send for me. I had health problems I felt she would need to know. She would be 34 yrs. old now & may already be experiencing some of these herself./ I’ve always prayed for only the best for her. I want to make it easy for her to find out any info. she wants to know about her birth family.