Support for Birth Family not connected with Adoption Matters

Search and Intermediary Service for Birth Relatives

Prior to employing a search and intermediary service, we would recommend that you access the General Register Office website and add your details to the Adoption Contact Register.  This means that if the adopted person has already added their details they will be informed of your interest in contact with them and given any details you have left on the register.  You will not be given their details as the adopted person will have the control in this situation.  There is a £30 one off charge for entering your name on the register.  This is the link: https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records/the-adoption-contact-register

Services we offer:

Initial consultation – cost £100 for 1-1.5 hours. 

This will include having sight of your ID and a discussion around what you already know and what you hope to achieve. A discussion will be had about the potential that the person you are searching for cannot be found or does not want any contact. We will then make contact with the adoption agency who arranged the adoption, and seek their view about approaching the adoptee and any potential contact taking place. We will also ask for information, which will help us trace the adoptee.  This information will not be shared with you and only an agency registered to provide intermediary services can request this information.

It may be that we have to approach the General Register Office (GRO) to give us information about the adopted adult to help us search for them and we will ask you to complete a Form AF5 and make a one-off payment of £36 to the GRO.

Tracing Service – cost £300. Up to 5 hours. Additional hours, for more complex searches, costed at £60 per hour

Having identified the adopted adult you wish to search for, we will endeavour to find them on your behalf. We will use public records, social media and subscription based services. We may need to access birth, marriage or death certificates, to validate the person’s identity. The cost of up to two certificates are included, if the search proves to be more complex then we will ask you to cover the cost of any additional certificates (currently £11 each).

Intermediary service – cost £300. Up to 5 hours of work. Additional hours costed at £60 per hour.

Having identified the whereabouts of the person you wish to have contact with, we will begin the process of approaching them.

Once contact is established, we would then support you in gradually sharing and receiving information be that by letter, email or telephone calls.

The final stage would be a reunion, where you will meet with the adopted adult in a safe environment supported by our staff.