Adoption Breakdowns

 

Dear Ms Moore,

 

Many thanks for your question about what happens if an adoption placement
breaks down and whether a birth parent automatically get notified. I have
spoken to the Manager of that Service and our guidance would be that –

 

There is no legal requirement to inform birth parents about a breakdown of
an adoption placement, an adoption order removes all parental and legal
rights to a child from the birth parents and invests these with the
adoptive parents. However in the vast majority of adoptions there remains
some form of contact between the birth parents and the adoptive family,
often in the form of ‘Letter box contact’ if this is in place then birth
families would be aware of any breakdown of the adoption. Depending on the
age of a child when a disruption happens then they may be found a new
adoptive family. Each case is individual and it would depend on the risk
to the child as to how much information was shared with a birth parent.
However legislation is very clear that an adopted child can not have
access to their birth records until they are aged over 18. Birth families
do not have any rights to information about an adopted person but can
request through an intermediary service that information about them is
passed on to an adopted person once they are over the age of 18 years old.
I hope this is helpful a useful source of information would be
[1]www.norcap.org.uk which is an organisation for adults affected by
adoption.

 

Please let me know if you require any further information – I will be very
help happy to help you if I can.

 

With best wishes

 

Sam

 

Mrs Samantha Hocking

Data Protection & Freedom of Information Officer

 

Children, Schools & Families

Cornwall Council

 

Telephone 01872 324144

Fax 01872 323818

[2][email address]

 

Room 410, New County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro, TR1 3AY

[3]www.cornwall.gov.uk

 

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.norcap.org.uk/
http://www.norcap.org.uk/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/