Many adult adoptees have questions about their origins and would like more information about their adoption and birth family.
If you’re over 18 years old and live in one of our catchment areas (Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, St Helens, Warrington and Wigan), we can help.
How can we help?
We offer confidential information, advice and support to adult adoptees. This includes supporting you to access your adoption records and providing advice on tracing birth family members.
For more information you can contact the adoption support duty worker by calling 01942 487272 or email PASupport@wigan.gov.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply to access my adoption records?
You can begin the search for your birth information and access to your adoption records from the time you turn 18 years of age. If you do not know your birth name, you will need to complete the access to birth certificate information before adoption (BIBA) form (external link) and send it to the General Register Office (GRO).
- Write to: General Register Office, Adoptions Section Room C202, Smedley Hydro, Trafalgar Road, Southport, PR8 2HH
- Telephone: 0300 123 1837 and press option 8.
We also recommend applying to the GRO if you do not know the name of the court where the adoption order was made, or the name of the agency involved in your adoption.
Depending on the date of your adoption order, the GRO will either send the information directly to you, or they will send all the relevant information to your regional adoption agency, who you will then be advised to contact.
How long will it take?
It is not possible to predict how long the process will take as every case is different and it depends on whether your adoption file exists and where it is located. It can often take several weeks to track an adoption file. Additionally, we will always go at your pace, so you have control of the process.
Due to the very high demand for the various adoption services, we do have a waiting list for the access to records service. We constantly review our waiting list, and we offer the service to applicants as soon as possible.
What happens when I meet with a social worker?
We understand that accessing your records can be an emotional process. We offer all adult adoptees support from a social worker who will try to locate your birth records that may still be held by adoption agencies, other local authorities, adoption charities, or the relevant courts. We will share your record with you and support you to explore why you were adopted. There will be at least 2 meetings with a social worker as part of the process of accessing your adoption records.
Will I have to pay to access my records?
You will have to pay for a copy of your birth certificate from the GRO. Courts may also charge a fee for releasing records. If you decide to use a private agency to access your records on your behalf, they may charge a fee.
We do not charge adult adoptees for providing information about their adoption records.
What is the Adoption Contact Register?
The registrar general runs the Adoption Contact Register (external link), which puts adult adoptees and their birth parents (or other birth relatives) in touch with each other - if that’s what they both want.
The current cost is £15 for an adopted person and £30 for a birth relative to register.
Tracing and intermediary services
It is worth spending some time to consider all the information you have received from the adoption agency, before you decide what, if anything, you want to do next. If you do decide that you would like to contact your birth family, your social worker will explain how to go about this and will provide you with support and guidance.
If you decide to apply for an intermediary service, you may be charged for parts or all of this service, depending on which agency that you apply to.
At the present time, we do not provide full intermediary services, but we will provide advice about where these services can be accessed.
Don’t live in a Together for Adoption area?
If you don’t live in our area, but you know we were involved in your adoption, please get in touch with your regional adoption agency and they will contact us on your behalf.
Useful websites