Dear Adopted Adult:
We have included links we hope will be helpful in giving you information about our post adoption services. As an adopted adult, you have several options open to you:
1. You may request your Birth Family History. Usually this includes physical descriptions of your birth parent(s) and their families, education levels, occupations, nationalities, hobbies, health history, relationship between your birth parents and reasons for making an adoption plan. Your history is limited to the information in the records given at the time of your birth and placement. The fee for this is $150.
2. You may request a search for your birth mother or birth father (if your birth father is named in the records). We do only one search at a time and there are separate fees for each search. A search would include our locating your birth parent. When we find your birth parent we would see what type of communication she/he is open to. The following are possible search outcomes:
- Obtaining current medical information from your birth parent(s) and/or
- Exchanging letters and pictures with your birth parent(s) through Catholic Charities on a non-identifying basis and/or
- Having direct and identifying contact with your birth parent(s). This might include letters, telephone calls and face-to-face contact.
If you would like to initiate a search, please send your written request form, a copy of your photo identification, a non-refundable file review fee of $25 (which is deducted from the fee total) along with a copy of your most recent Federal Tax Return (if you are requesting a reduction in the fee) to Post Adoption, Catholic Charities, 1276 University Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104. Search fees are determined on a sliding fee scale based on your joint family income. Searches are done in the order that they have been paid in full. We currently have a backlog of requests, resulting in a wait of approximately six to nine months from the time the full search fee is paid.
3. You can send a request form to the Minnesota Department of Health. This form is a request to check if your birth mother or birth father has signed an Affidavit of Disclosure. If they have signed one, you can request and receive a copy of your original birth certificate from the Minnesota Department of Health. They charge a fee of $13.
This section includes an application used to request your birth family history and/or search, and our fee schedule for the services listed, as well as other services. For all our services we request a copy of photo identification, such as a driver’s license, for verification of identity. This section also includes an information sheet regarding your rights and the rights of your birth parents, a page explaining laws regarding post-adoption services and a request form for you to submit to the Minnesota Department of Health to check if there is an Affidavit of Disclosure/Non-disclosure on file.
In addition to the materials provided, we encourage you to take some time to reference Practice Guide for Post Adoption Services 2006 found on the Minnesota Department of Humans Services Web site, http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-4701-ENG, in order to learn more about post adoption guidelines, practices, rules and statutes.
Please also note that you may update your file at any time, including your current name, address and phone number. You can also include a letter, pictures or a release of identifying information. These materials would remain in the file until a birth parent requests them. There is no charge for adding information to your file.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know how we can assist you. The Post Adoption program can be reached by e-mail, by the intake phone number at 651-647-3101 or by mail at 1276 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55104-4101.
Sincerely,
Post Adoption Program
