How To Find California Adoption Records? (2024) | Genetics Ancestry

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California Adoption Records

The California adoption registry is an official form used by courts to report adoptions to the
registry office. This form serves as the main requirement in making a new birth certificate in the State
Registrar. The form related to this adoption record will contain personal data such as the real name of
the adopted child, gender, place and date of birth, the name of the doctor who helped give birth, the
name of the biological parents, the identity of the adoptive parents, and the new name of the adopted
child.

This adoption record in California is a must-have for adopted children, both those born in
California, and those born in other countries to issue a new birth certificate. Adopted children born in
California will be taken care of in court. For adopted children born outside California, the adoption
court report will be taken care of in the country of birth and a new birth certificate will be issued by
the California Registrar. Adoption records and a new birth certificate will cost $20 and an additional
$25 will be charged for additional copies. This fee must be paid to the CDPH Important Note by
check or wasel.

Who can access the Adoption Records?

This record also has a permanent nature so that changes or deletions of data cannot be made
by any party. Adoption records in California are also confidential, and can only be accessed by
biological parents, adopted children, and adoptive parents. This is because the government will only
issue new birth certificates for adopted children and will seal the original records and court reports on
adoption.

What is Children’s Act of 1975 in Adoption?

Under the Children’s Act of 1975, adoption agencies in California would keep adoption
records for 75 years, but this rule was replaced by the Adoption and Child Act in 2002 which
stipulated that adoption records from courts were kept for 100 years before they could finally be
issued. Adopted children will still have the right to see the original record of court results through the
procedure of filing a petition with the high court in the area where the adopted child resides or the
high court in the county that issued the adoption record. After this filing process, the high court will
open the original birth record to the applicant (adopted child), but the record will remain sealed and
not open for public examination.

Adoption records in California can also be searched by name through The registry filing
system was originally based on the Soundex Code (search using names) which is a phonetic coding
method that assigns numerical values to consonants and ignores vowels, except as the first letter. This
system makes it possible to match despite some differences in spelling. It was the perfect foundation
for situations where often people didn’t know the proper spelling. The search for adoption records
through names will usually be done through several ways, namely;

1. Examination of the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the area of adoption by requesting a probate
record and guardianship record.

2. Church records (usually in the Catholic Church), which are baptismal information records or
sacramental records that contain identifying information about members of the biological family.

3. Orphanage records, namely in the census section and voter list, where this list will contain the
identity of the adoptee’s parents.

How to Access the Adoption Records in California?

Adoption records in California can be accessed online through the social services website in
http://www.childsworld.ca.gov/PG1314.htm, by writing a request for unsealing the court’s original
records. The request submitted must include the name of the applicant, date of birth according to the
birth certificate, full name of adoptive parents, signature of the applicant that has been notarized by a
notary. This process can be done independently by the applicant or through an adoption agency that
has an official license, where the management through this agency will be subject to additional service
fees.

Access the Adoption Records in California For Free?

California adoption records can be accessed free of charge through The International Soundex
Reunion Registry (ISRR) http://www.isrr.org/.. It is a free-of-charge non-profit humanitarian
organization founded by Emma May Vilardi. This organization is a registration of mutual consent
adoption reunions for people who want a reunion with the next of kin. The institution serves the needs
of separated families through adoption, divorce, parenting, abandonment or otherwise. Participants
who register at this Institute must be over 18 years old. This institution is also free and free of charge.

California adoption reunion registry (part of The International Soundex Reunion Registry) or
family reunions can occur because California uses a written statement system where biological family
members can submit their consent to release the identity information of the child to be adopted or
register their refusal to be contacted by the adoptive family. This permission is done in writing and is
referred to as a consent form, waiver, or authorization. This information will be found on the

California Adoption Reunion Registry Website

Summit country children services in California uses information contracts, where the
information is listed as follows;
1. Date and place of birth of the adopted child.
2. Age of biological parents and their physical characteristics, such as hair color, eyes, skin color,
hair shape, height, etc.
3. Race, ethnicity, religion, and medical history of biological parents.
4. The education level of the biological parents and their occupation at the time of adoption.
5. The reason for giving up the child for adoption.
6. The existence of other children (siblings) born to biological parents.

Conclusion:

In essence, California’s adoption record is sealed and not open to the public, but the adopted
child has the right to petition the court to unseal the adoption record when he is over 18 years old,
where in court proceedings the judge has the right to make the following decisions;

1. Agree to release adoption records
2. Agree only to release non-identifying information (information available at adoption agencies).
3. Appoint an intermediary to find the biological parents and seek approval whether they are willing
to release the identity of the applicant (adopted child) or be reunited with the applicant (adopted
child).