Introduction
Birth Certificates
What Information Am I Entitled To?
How to Apply for Information
The Interview
Tracing Your Birth Parents
Passports
Further Information
Internet Support - AFAV (A.W.I.S.)
Introduction
You may have been thinking about applying for information about your adoption and perhaps tracing your Birth Parents.
The Adoption Act 1984 gave people who were adopted in Victoria the right to obtain information about their adoption. More than 25,000 people have now registered with the Adoption Information Service (AIS) a part of the Department of Human Services (DHS).
After registering, adult Adopted Persons are entitled to receive information about their origins, including the names of their Birth Parents.
This article outlines the information and services available through the AIS, non-government adoption information services and self-help and support groups.
If you are uncertain about whether you were adopted, you may apply for a certified copy of your Birth Certificate in your adoptive name to:
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The Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages |
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Ground floor, Transport House, 589 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000 |
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1300 369 367 |
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(03) 9603 5880 |
At the Registry there is a section specifically concerned with Adoption. The people who work there are aware of and sensitive to your particular needs.
If your full Birth Certificate (not the extract) is a "SIXTH SCHEDULE", it will mean you were legally adopted.
If it is a "FORM 2" and you have reason to believe you are adopted you should contact the Adoption Information Service.
What Information Am I Entitled To?
If you are over 18, you will receive a copy of your Original Birth Certificate at an interview. If your adoption was arranged by the Government or an Adoption Agency, there will also usually be records relating to your Birth Mother and possibly your Birth Father.
Adult Children of Adopted Persons have the same rights to the information. However, the Adopted Person must be notified of the enquiry unless you can produce evidence of death.
Your Original Birth Certificate will show:
- When and were you were born.
- The name of your Birth Mother and her address at the time.
- How old she was when you were born.
- Where she was born.
- The name she gave you.
This information is the basis for tracing birth family members.
In the past, if the Birth Parents were not married (to each other), the Birth Father’s name would not be recorded on the Birth Certificate.
How to Apply for Information
The Adoption Information Service is the best place to start if you are not sure whether there was an agency involved, or the agency has since closed down.
If you know the name of the non-government adoption agency you believe arranged the adoption, you may apply there for information.
The Interview
During the interview you will receive the information for which you have applied. You will also be informed whether the AIS has received any inquiries concerning you (from a Birth Parent or Relative).
The AIS offers a choice of an individual or group interview. An individual interview offers an opportunity to discuss privately with a counsellor the adoption information you receive, your wishes regarding searching and contact and any other issues important to you with regard to adoption.
A group interview offers an opportunity to discuss with other people issues of adoption, searching and contact in a group setting. Group discussion can be a very supportive experience at this stage of obtaining information.
The interview is not a personal assessment. It is a discussion and information session explaining the services available to you through AIS and Support and Self-Help Groups in the community.
Tracing Your Birth Parents
After the interview you may want to trace your Birth Parents. You may have important questions that only your Birth Mother or Birth Father can answer. You may wish to let a Birth Parent know how your life has been. Perhaps you wish to meet someone who is related to you and establish ongoing contact. Many, although not all, Birth Parents agree to exchange information or meet a child placed for adoption.
If you are not sure how you feel, counsellors can assist you with your decision and tell you about the experiences of others who have traced their Birth Parents. A number of resources are available to you if you decide to go ahead.
- A search-guide booklet, given to you at your interview.
- The Victorian Adoption Network for information and Self-Help (VANISH), a free service which provides support and search advice.
- Adoption: Myth and Reality, a DHS booklet about the experiences of people who have traced Birth Parents.
Passports
Adopted Persons do not need their Original Birth Certificate to obtain a passport. If you intend applying for a passport, simply apply to the Registrar of Births, Death and Marriages and ask for your place of birth to be added to your Adoptive Birth Certificate, if it is not already recorded. There is no charge for this.
Further Information
Counsellors are available at the AIS to provide information or talk over some of the issues with you. Adoptive Parents are also welcome to discuss concerns they may have about Birth Parent contact.
There is also a network of Adoption Support groups throughout Victoria where you can meet other people and share adoption experiences. AIS can give you contact numbers for these groups.
AIS also provides speakers for community groups and schools to raise community awareness and understanding of the needs and experiences of people affected by adoption.
Information on local and Country Adoption Support Groups can be obtained from the Adoption Information Service.
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Adoption Information Service |
Internet Support - AFAV Web Information Service (A.W.I.S.)
This email address has been set up as an initial point of contact for people seeking help and information through the internet.
Please email the AFAV – A.W.I.S. Volunteers who will answer your query as soon as they are able. Should you not receive your reply within 14 days please contact us again by re-sending your e-mail.
Content supplied by AFAV. Last modified Tue, 11 Sep 2001. Maintained by TOTLD
