Adopted Woman Registers with Illinois Agencies to Find Biological Parents

By Nottage and Ward on January 26, 2011

A former Ottawa resident who was adopted through a closed adoption is in search of her biological parents to learn about her medical history, ethnicity, and find out more about the possibility of meeting her biological family. According to a News Tribune article, the woman was born in June of 1986 and is a mother of two. When she was pregnant, doctors and nurses wanted to know her medical history, but she wasn’t able to provide them with this information.

The report states that the woman has submitted her information to several adoption websites, has registered with the Illinois Department of Public Health, and has been added to the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange. Because she had been adopted through a closed adoption, she could only be told the ages of her birth parents as well as the time, date, and place of her birth.

The attorney for the woman’s adoptive parents helped them arrange the closed adoption since they were unable to conceive a child and were considered as “too old” to adopt through an agency. Opening adoption papers that are sealed by the court is not a simple task. In Illinois, there typically must be a leave of court given in addition to justification such as a medical reason in order for closed adoption information to be released.

Adoption can be a tremendous opportunity for step-parents, same-sex couples, and many other couples who are unable to or chose not to have children. However, adoption is not to be taken lightly and can be a complex process.

At the family law firm of Nottage and Ward, our Illinois adoption lawyers handle a wide range of adoption cases. With our thorough understanding of adoption law in Illinois, we can help guide you through the intricate family law matter at hand. Contact our firm for more information and to find out if our experience meets your needs. Call 312-332-2915.