I am adopted

Many adopted adults have questions about their past. Accessing their records can provide some of the answers


If you have been adopted and are currently living in Hampshire, Hampshire's Adoption Support Team can provide you with advice and support on how to access your records and how to seek information about your birth relatives.

If you have been adopted and do not currently live in Hampshire, please make enquiries with the local authority adoption service where you live.

Find your local authority

Birth records counselling

If, as an adopted adult, you do not have a copy of the birth certificate completed when you were born, please contact the Adoption Support Services Team who will talk through the process with you.

If you were adopted before 12 November 1975 and you do not know your birth name, under current legislation, you are likely to need to undertake a Birth Records Counselling session with a Social Worker.

If you were adopted after 12 November 1975 you can still elect to have the Birth Records Counselling session, although generally you would be sent the certificate directly, as you will need to apply to the General Register Office (GRO) for Birth Information Before Adoption. The GRO will then send this to the Adoption Support Services Team in Hampshire and once your case in allocated, the Team will arrange to share this with you and discuss the way forward.

Accessing birth records

Many adopted adults have questions about their past. Accessing records can provide some of the answers. Some of the information may be difficult to come to terms with which is why you will be offered social work support to help you. If you live in Hampshire you can access this service (no charge), and if you were adopted elsewhere in the UK the Team can help in establishing where records may be held so we can support you in accessing these. There are some occasions when it is not always possible to track down an adoption file, but the Team can support you in this too.

The Adoption Contact Register

The Adoption Contact Register is designed to put adopted people and their birth relatives in touch with each other if that is what they both want. The Register does not contain the details of everyone who was adopted or is looking for their adopted family member as it a voluntary register.

To join the Adoption Contact Register, you need to apply to the General Register Office.

Intermediary services

It is natural for those who have been adopted to want to know more about their birth relatives. The Adoption Support Services Team can support adoptees wishing to establish contact with birth relatives, and also birth relatives who wish to establish contact with adoptees. This involves checking adoption records and, if appropriate, contacting the placing adoption agency or local authority to establish whether there is a veto. A veto can be placed on a file giving indication of whether an adoptee wishes to have contact in future. The Team can support you and provide advice and guidance through the process.

The Team are not resourced for tracing, but are able to give advice around any tracing requirements if this is needed in the future, and this would be explained during your initial appointment once your referral has been allocated.

I am adopted

Contact us

Please contact our specialist adoption support for adults social worker:

Tuesday 8.30am to 5pm
Wednesday 1pm to 5pm
Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm

Phone: 01489 587543

Email: [email protected]