The Texas Vital Statistics Central Adoption Registry allows individuals to access adoption information easily and cheaply.
The Texas Vital Statistics Central Adoption Registry holds adoption records, as well as contact information for the other 30 child adoption organizations that operate their own adoption registries. The Texas Vital Statistics Central Adoption Registry is voluntary; birth parents, siblings and adult adoptees are allowed to place their name in the registry. When matches are made in information, the Texas Vital Statistics Central Adoption Registry will notify all parties involved and release information after a one hour counseling sessions has been conducted and the registrant has provided a written biography of her life.
Instructions
1. Complete a registry application, filling in the sections applicable to you. The application for adult adoptees requests information such as demographic information of the registrant, but also information such as adoption date and county, adoptive parent information and agency of adoption. The application for birth parents requests the name of the child put up for adoption at birth and after adoption, the birth date of the child, the hospital of birth and other information. While birth parents may not know all the information necessary, they are asked to fill out as much information as possible. For birth siblings, the name of the sibling is requested, as is the name of the agency and information about the birth parents. Again, you may not know all the information required, but answer as best you can.
2. Provide a copy of your state or government ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. If your last name has changed for any reason, send in a copy of your birth certificate in conjunction with your state or government ID.
3. Pay the $30.00 registry fee in check or money order and send all materials to:
Central Adoption Registry, Department of State Health Services
PO Box 149347
Austin, TX 78714
4. Contact the Texas Department of Health Services' Central Adoption Agency if the Central Registry does not have the information you seek. Not all people choose to register on the Adoption Registry or through the other 30 registries that exist online, such as that found on Adoption.com. Adoption records in the state of Texas are sealed, and identifying information is only given with mutual consent of all parties involved, so only non-identifying information, such as the court that approved the adoption or the agency that handled the adoption, may be obtained, according to Texas Adoption Laws. Non-identifying information is available to adoptees over the age of 18 and adoptive parents. Information regarding the court that approved the adoption can also be obtained by petitioning the Department of State Health Services.
5. Contact the court that approved the adoption and petition the court to unseal the adoption records. Courts usually accept petitions from adoptees, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services Adoption Information; however, the court may or may not grant the petition.
Tags: Adoption Registry, Central Adoption, Central Adoption Registry, birth parents, Health Services, Statistics Central