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Programs for Birth Families
Counseling and Support Services
If you are a birth relative seeking information about adoption search
services in Illinois, we hope that one of our programs or information found on
our site will be helpful to you.
Unfortunately, the search process and even the eventual outcome of a search
can never be predicted with certainty. Many of the articles you read or the TV
programs you see make search and reunion seem easy and positive. Sometimes it
happens that way; sometimes it doesn't.
As a birth parent, you may have thought about searching for your birth child
for many years or this may be your first effort. In either case, you probably
will find yourself remembering, even dreaming about painful experiences that you
confronted prior to, during and following the time that your child was placed
for adoption. During these weeks and months you are may experience feelings and
thoughts which you may have believed you had forgotten, and which are almost
overwhelming in their emotional impact upon you. We want you to know that
remembering and re-experiencing these feelings and thoughts are normal. You are
not "going crazy". You may feel that you cannot proceed without learning more
about what to expect, and that you want to speak with someone who understands
what you are going through.
A bibliography available on
this site notes books which may be helpful to you. In addition, the Midwest
Adoption Center offers counseling service regarding search issues. Our staff is
experienced and knowledgeable about the life-long issues confronted by birth
relatives and are available to help you. If you live in the Chicago metropolitan
area, you may want to arrange an appointment with a counselor from MAC. If you
live outside the area, there may be counselors or support groups known to us to
whom we can make a referral. If not, we are able to provide telephone
counseling.
We hope that knowing you do not have to go through the highly emotional
experience of search and possible reunion alone and unsupported will relieve
some of your anxiety.
Fees for the above services are as follows:
Individual counseling ..................$80.00
Telephone counseling ..................$50.00
If you are interested in this program, please email or call (847) 298-9096.
Post-Adoption Search and Reunion Programs
Midwest Adoption Center delivers three separate post-adoption search
programs. While they are similar in some ways, each is unique. A brief summary
of each program follows.
IDCFS Post-adoption Search and/or Reunion Program
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services offers post-adoption
service to adoptees, adoptive parents and birth family members seeking
non-identifying information from their adoption files and/or search and reunion
service. The Department has contracted with Midwest Adoption Center to provide
this service pertaining to adoptions handled through any DCFS office throughout
the state.
Individuals requesting non-identifying information will receive a written
summary of the data found in their files. The definition of non-identifying
information for use in this program can be found in the program
description.
Persons requesting search service will first receive a written summary of
non-identifying information as found in the file. Adoptees and or adoptive
parents may request a search for one biological relative e through this program.
If that relative is found to be deceased, a search for one additional relative
may be initiated. Birth parents may request a search for a minor child; however
contact will be first made with the adoptive parents(s) who must give consent in
writing before contact can be made with the adoptee. If the birth relative is
requesting contact with an adopted person who is and adult, contact may be made
directly with him/her and the consent of the adoptive parent(s) is not
required.
Individuals who were not adopted but were once in the guardianship of IDCFS
may also request information from files and/or search service through this
program.
There is no fee for this service.
For detailed information about this program including forms needed to
initiate service, click here.
Confidential Intermediary Service of Illinois
Unfortunately, at this time the law does not provide for Confidential
Intermediary service to be utilized by birth parents or other birth relatives --
only by adoptees.
However, we are hopeful that on-going efforts to revise the law will be
successful and that birth parents and other birth relatives will eventually be
able to file a petition for an Intermediary search. If you wish, contact MAC by
e-mail to add your name, address and phone number to our data base. Please
indicate whether you are a birth parent, birth sibling or other birth relative.
If and when the law is revised, we will attempt to contact you to give you
information about how to proceed. (MAC is taking an active role in the efforts
toward adoption reform in Illinois. Check News and Views on this site for
information about legislative events including ways in which you may be able to
help.)
The Illinois Adoption Registry as well as the Soundex Registry may be useful
to you. Both of which would welcome your participation. If you file with these
registries, they will notify you if your birth child is registered now, or
registers at some time in the future. Many matches have been made using these
services, especially the Soundex Registry.
If the adoption of your child was handled by an adoption agency, they may be
able to offer search service to you. Even if your request has been denied in the
past, it may be worthwhile to contact them again since many agencies are
changing their policy regarding search service.
We recognize how difficult it must be for you to have so few options
available. You may find participation in a support group to be helpful to you.
We may be able to give you information about such a group near-by or to suggest
a counselor with special expertise in these issues. MAC offers counseling
services, both in person and by telephone. Please contact us by email or phone (847) 298-9096 if you would
like more information or to arrange an appointment.
Crittenton Centers
Crittenton Centers is pleased to able to respond to adoptees, adoptive
parents and birth family members seeking non-identifying information from their
adoption files and/or search and reunion service.
The number of requests like yours has been increasing dramatically. In order
to better meet this need, Crittenton Centers has contracted with Midwest
Adoption Center to develop this program and to provide the service you have
requested. The staff of the Center has extensive experience in adoption, with
particular emphasis on post-adoption service. We strongly support the right of
adoptees and birth family members to obtain non-identifying information as well
as to request that the agency initiate confidential contact with biological
relatives in order to effect a reunion if both parties consent. Therefore, we
welcome this opportunity to help meet the needs of individuals and families
touched by adoption.
Click here for a brief
description of the program. A service request form for you to complete may be
downloaded by clicking here. Forms may also be obtained by contacting Crittenton
Centers or MAC. The completed form, along with your service fee, should be
returned to Crittenton Centers. Crittenton staff will then send your file
information to us so that work can begin.
At this time there is no waiting list for service and your case can be
assigned as soon as we have received the files from Crittenton. We will be in
touch with you at that time.
For general information about access to adoption records and adoption search
assistance in Illinois, click here.
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