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This is a statewide service that provides information to eligible people in relation to inquiries made about adoptions made under the Victorian Adoption Act 1984.
For further enquiries contact Adoption Information Service program on: foreverfamily@connections.org.au
People who can access the service
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The following are persons eligible to apply for information about an adoption:
- Adopted people over the age of 18 years of age
- Adopted people under 18 years of age with the agreement of adoptive parents
- Adoptive parents
- Birth parents and birth relatives of adopted people
- Adult children of adopted persons
How the Adoption Information Service works
People who have been adopted often have a strong desire to learn more about their birth family.
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To request information about an adoption you need to follow these steps:
- If you are eligible you should contact Connections Adoption Information Service and request a registration form
- Return the completed registration form to Connections with payment of the relevant fee set by the Government
- A mandatory interview takes place for all applicants with a gazetted counsellor at which time the information will be provided. Identifying documents will be provided to adopted people or their adult children. Birth parents and relatives will receive non-identifying information from the records of an adoption
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People can also request information about adoptions that were facilitated by the following historical and ancestral (to Connections) organisations including:
- Methodist Babies Home
- Methodist Department of Child Care
- Presbyterian Sisterhood
- Presbyterian Babies Home (inc. Kildonan)
- Presbyterian Social Services
- Methodist Social Services
- Child Care Services of the Uniting Church
- Copelen Street Family Services
How clients benefit from the service
People who have been involved in an adoption can source information about family members which may be of great importance to them.
How this service benefits the community
Knowledge about relinquished children and families of origin is often of great importance to those who have been involved in adoption and is sometimes important to their wellbeing.
It is particularly important to make information available about those adoptions which occurred at a time when adoption processes were less respectful of all parties involved.
