Dear Birth Parent:
Thank you for your inquiry. We have included links from this page to information that we hope will be helpful in giving you some information about post adoption services. As a birth parent you have several options open to you:
1. You may request a search for your birth son/daughter if he/she is 19 years of age or older (the legal age in Minnesota for direct contact without adoptive parents’ consent). A search would include locating your birth son/daughter and seeing what type of communication he/she is open to. The following are possible search outcomes:
- Sharing current medical information
- Exchanging letters and pictures with your birth son or daughter through Catholic Charities on a non-identifying basis
- Having direct and identifying contact with your birth son or daughter. 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 application fee of $25.00 (which will be deducted from total fee) and a copy of your most recent Federal Tax Return. 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.
2. If your birth son/daughter is under the age of 19, you may request updated information through the agency from the adoptive parents. An hourly fee of $65.00 will be charged if you do not have the adoptive parents’ current address and/or phone number. A deposit for the first hour of work would need to be received before we could make contact with the adoptive parents.
3. You may fill out and have notarized the Affidavit of Disclosure and send it to the Minnesota Department of Health. Your birth son/daughter would then be entitled to his/her original birth certificate.
4. You could request a copy of any documents from our records that you are entitled to. That includes any forms from the time of the placement that you signed, authored or were addressed to you. It would also include any legal or court documents. The minimum fee for requesting this information is $30.00 (hourly charge after first half hour) to help cover staff time and photocopying.
This section includes an application used to request the aforementioned services, as well as others listed on the fee schedule; an information sheet regarding your rights and rights of adopted adults; a page explaining laws regarding post adoption services; an Affidavit of Disclosure/Non-disclosure to submit to the Minnesota Department of Health and a copy of our fee schedule (see the link above). For all of our services we request a copy of photo identification, such as a driver’s liscense, for verification of identity.
Please also note that you may update your file at any time, including your current name, address and phone number. You can also include an updated medical history, a letter, pictures or a release of identifying information. There is no charge for adding information to your file. These materials will remain in the file until your birth son/daughter may request them.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know how we can assist you. The Post Adoption department can be reached by e-mail, by the intake phone number at 651-603-0235 or by mail at 1276 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55104-4101.
Sincerely,
Post Adoption Department
