Access to Adoption Records

Who May Access Information
Citation: Ch. Code Art. 1126; 1270

The voluntary adoption registry may be used by:

• The adoptee who is at least age 18
• The birth mother and birth father
• The parents or siblings of a deceased birth parent
• An adoptive parent of a minor or deceased adoptee
• The birth siblings who are age 18 or older

Nonidentifying information shall be provided to:

• The adoptive parents
• The adoptee who is age 18 or older
• The birth parents

Access to Nonidentifying Information
Citation: Ch. Code Art. 1126; 1127; 1127.1

The agency or person to whom a surrender is made shall have the duty to make a good faith effort to obtain the Statement of Family History required by Articles 1124 and 1125, to deliver it to prospective adoptive parents upon placement, and to make it available, upon request, to the adoptee at age 18 or older. If the Statement of Family History is subsequently transferred to another agency or person, the new custodian of the information assumes responsibility to the adoptee.

Any adoptee, or if still a minor, his or her legal representative, or a birth parent, may, upon written request, obtain nonidentifying medical or genetic information without the necessity of filing a motion for disclosure. Upon such a request, the agency or person shall make a good faith effort to review and abstract nonidentifying genetic or medical information from all available records and sources that are similar in content to the Statement of Family History.

After adoptive placement of the child, the agency or person to whom a surrender is made shall have a continuing duty to maintain these records and supplement them if additional nonidentifying medical or genetic information is received about the adopted child or a birth parent. Upon such a request, the agency or person shall disclose such information. In fulfilling this continuing duty, the agency or person is authorized to contact the adoptee, adoptive parents, and birth parents to provide updated nonidentifying medical and genetic information or to facilitate the exchange of information between the parties.

Mutual Access to Identifying Information
Citation: Ch. Code Art. 1270

The Office of Community Services of the Department of Social Services shall maintain a voluntary registry for the matching of adoptees and birth parents or siblings, or both. The purpose of this registry shall be to facilitate voluntary contact between the adoptee and the birth parents or siblings, or both.

The use of the registry shall be limited to the adoptee who is at least age 18, the birth mother, the birth father, parents or siblings of a deceased birth parent, an adoptive parent of a minor or deceased adoptee, and any birth sibling who is at least age 18. No registration by an adoptee shall be permitted until all birth siblings who were adopted by the same adoptive parents have reached age 18.

The registry shall not release any information from adoption records in violation of the privacy or confidentiality rights of a birth parent who has not authorized the release of any information.

The registry shall confirm for an adoptee the fact of his or her adoption and identify the court in which the adoption was finalized and the agency, firm, or lawyer facilitating the adoption when that information is known by the department. To receive this information, the adoptee shall be age 18 or older, submit the request in writing, and provide proof of identity.

Access to Original Birth Certificate
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 40:73

The original birth certificate is available:

• Upon court order to the adoptee or if deceased, the adoptee's descendants, or the adoptive parent
• To the agency that was a party to the adoption upon court order after a showing of compelling reasons

Where the Information Can Be Located

Louisiana Voluntary Adoption Registry

Contact:

Louisiana Adoption Registry
PO Box 3318
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
(504) 342-9922
(800) 259-2456
http://www.dss.state.la.us/departments/ocs/Registry.html

Credits: Child Welfare Information Gateway (http://www.childwelfare.gov)