PENNSYLVANIA Law/Reform

An adult adoptee (age 18), or the adoptive parents of adoptees under 18 can petition the court for release of identifying information about the birth parent. The court shall appoint either a county agency or a private adoption agency to try to locate and contact the birth parent. The court will deny the request to search for the birth parent if it believes that there is a substantial risk that persons other than the birth parent would learn of the adoptee's existence and relationship to the birth parent.

Confidential Intermediary (CI) Program
The adoptee or his or her adoptive parent may also make a request to an adoption agency to search for the birth parent. Identifying information concerning the birth parent may only be released if both birth parents consent. If only one birth parent consents to the release of the information, only information about that birth parent may be disclosed.

Birth parents can file with the court or the Department of Health a waiver form granting permission to disclose to the adoptee the information in the adoptee's original birth certificate. Such information may not be released without such a consent and only to an adoptee 18 years of age or older (with adoptive parent permission, if under 18).

Pennsylvania's new Medical Registry 800-227-0225

Is a means for bparents to share family medical history with the child they have placed for adoption. This is available for NEW adoptions as well as past.

The Birth parents may file this medical information. PA born adult adoptees or adoptive parents of adoptive minors or their legal guardians can request to get this information. Only the medical information will be released.

This information can be updated in later years. If the adoptee requests this information and there is none, that request will be kept on file. If the Birth Mother files the information at a later date the adoptee will be notified. It is the adoptee's responsibility to make sure this registry is updated with changes of address and phone number. None of this would be forwarded to a new address, not supplied by the adoptee.

Forms can be obtained from any adoption agency, Court of Common Pleas in PA or you can call 800-227-0225. You can also write to: 

Adoption Medical History Registry, 
Hillcrest, Second Floor, 
PO Box 2675, 
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675. 

There is no fee for this service.

Pennsylvania Links

Pennsylvania Adoption law