Adoption Services is a section of Child Protection and Family Support within the Department of Communities. Its purpose is to ensure that people who are legally able to do so can gain access to adoption records.
The publication ROADS – An index of locations and access to adoption records shows that the following types of records are held by Adoption Services:
Access to these records is restricted and confidentiality is protected by the Department of Communities’ Protocols for Access. To apply for records, complete the ‘Application for Post Adoption Services’ form, available on the Department of Communities website.
The Adoption Act 1994 acknowledges the importance of information for people involved in the adoption and their relatives. Access to information has improved, particularly for adopted people and birth parents. The type of information that can be obtained will depend upon who is applying for the information and when the adoption occurred.