Post Adoption Services: Beginning Your Search and Reunion

At some point as adoptees, we wonder about the woman that gave us life, the caregivers that looked after us, what our medical history is, what physical attributes were passed down to us and so on. It is not an easy decision to start a search considering the many implications, frustrations, or worries that may raise.  Just know that you are not alone.

FAN has assisted dozens of adoptees and families who have inquired about search and reunion. Through the Network we’ve connected with adult adoptees who have begun their search and a handful who have successfully reunited with their birth family. Our close partnership with the  Intercountry Adoption Board has also provided needed assistance.

Feel free mail info@filipino-adoptees-network if you have an inquiries.

* Please note that if you are under the age of 18 years old, you MUST have the consent of your legal guardian to initiate a search and reunion.

* There is no guarantee that a search will be successful but this should not deter you from doing so. A search can actually provide unknown information that you were unaware of and can sometimes fill the gaps in your adoption story.

Before you decide to contact ICAB, the following information will be very helpful. It can be found on your birth certificate or the case study conducted before your adoption.

- Date of Birth

- Location of Birth

- Name of orphanage in the Philippines if you resided in one before your adoption

- Whether your adoption was private or not

- Name of foreign adoption agency i.e. U.S agency

- Date of adoption

- Name of birth mother

The Intercountry Adoption Board oversees all international (and domestic) adoptions and also has a team that provides post adoption services to assist you in your search. You can request for your original birth certificate and adoption records although if you were privately adopted prior to the 1980′s there is no guarantee of such records.

SERVICES OFFERED BY ICAB FOR SEARCH AND REUNION:

Counseling about adoption issues.

Access to original birth certificate

Provision of adoption records

Assistance to interpret and clarify information in the records

Search assistance  to find birth family and relatives.

Other intermediary services for adoptive parents, birth parents  and relatives.

Motherland Tour

RECORD KEEPING/DATA BANK/ DOCUMENTATION

• DSWD Archive
• Inter-Country Adoption Board

PROCEDURES:

A. Search process:

• The intent to search may be allowed only upon the personal request made by either  the adult adoptee, adopter or the biological parent/s. Minors who are interested to search for his/her biological parent/s shall be represented by his/her adoptive parents.
• The request must be made in writing  by whoever intends to trace his/her roots to the Executive Director  of the Inter-Country Adoption Board.
• Assess and determine the motivations and preparedness of the individual  to pursue the search.
• Identifying information e.g., names, address, personal  background etc. may be shared only between  and among the adult adoptee, adoptive parents and his/her birth parents and only of they give their written consent.
• Non-identifying  information e.g., medical records circumstances which lead to the adoption of child but not  necessarily  divulging  the identity  of concerned individual etc. may be made available  to both adoptive parents/s and birth parents and the adoptee under 18 years old.
• The use of tri-media.

B. Meeting/Reunion:

• Approval/Consent from the birth parents, adoptive parents and the adoptee must be secured before  contact and/or  reunion with each other can be arranged.]
• When reunion is decided, preparations of all concerned must be carefully planned to avoid any possible  negative experience. The social worker must also consider the decision and the readiness of  the adoptee  and the biological parent/s on whether to involve  the significant  person/s in their  present lives.
• The timing of any approach  to family members  is very critical  and incredibly important at this point. The social worker  must be aware of the impact  on all parties desiring contact. He/She  must  be able  to offer  a mediating approach  to support  people at  this time, and to try  and negotiate and agreeable outcome for all concerned, while  at the same time  providing  support the process.
• The birth parent/s and the adoptee  must be given time and space to arrive at a decision at how their lives will move on after the reunion.