Search Options: Mutual Consent Registries

Last month I wrote the first in a series of search options – self searching. Today I will look at mutual consent registries. In future posts I’ll examine other search options such as court and independent intermediaries, agency assisted searching, independent search consultants, private investigators, search organizations and DNA testing.

As more and more adult adoptees seek information about their adoption there have been some steps taken to assist in these searches. Some states have created mutual consent registries to help connect searching parties. There are also free, independent mutual consent registries, such as International Soundex Reunion Registry (ISRR) and the Adoption.com Reunion Registry. Mutual consent registries are typically systems where parties to an adoption can register their willingness (or unwillingness in some states) to disclose identifying information to other parties. An intermediary registry involves a third party that acts as a go between when only one party requests information. A word of caution – some websites pose as an intermediate registry but are actually businesses that charge for their services. You may want to go this route but make sure you know what type of registry you are dealing with before sharing any personal information. I will devote a future blog post to the paid intermediary process.

There are two types of mutual consent registries. They are sometimes referred to as either passive or active.

• • • Passive – Requires both the adoptee and birth parent to register in order to facilitate contact.
    • Active: Requires only one party to initiate the process and is then facilitated via an intermediary.

It is a good idea to register with as many independent registries as possible. Registries like ISRR are free and are an important first step in the search process. Again, it is important to carefully read about each registry and make sure they are not fraudulent or simply a front for a paid service (unless you are in a position to pay for search assistance). As with all internet websites, read all the information available – and maybe even do some research on the internet for reviews or comments – before entering any information.

Another important option is to find out if the state where your adoption was finalized has a state established mutual consent registry. There are many sites http://reunion-registries.adoption.com/search/state-reunion-registries.html on the internet that list this information for each participating state. However, these laws are changing so make sure you are looking at a website that is updated regularly. Or check the state’s website for registry information. Usually the registries are managed by the Department of Social Services or a similar agency.

While consent registries are a good idea there are numerous issues that can make them ineffective. If a registry requires consent by both parties that may not always be feasible. A deceased party obviously cannot register. Those that are incapacitated may not have the option to register, nor a birth father that was never notified of the birth of the child.  Some states additionally require the consent of the adoptive parent(s) and that can prevent some adoptees from going down this path. But the biggest hurdle may be that many people are unaware that these registries even exist.  Without some type of advertising or outreach, which many states are unwilling or cannot afford to offer, a party may never discover a mutual consent registry exists. Independent mutual consent registries also have very limited resources, so again interested parties may not be aware of their existence.

As with each search option, there are pros and cons involved and there are often reasons that a certain option is not viable. Fortunately, there are still many more options I plan to discuss in the upcoming months.

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