When the state has chosen you to adopt a child, one of the things you should be receiving is a case file on them. Though state or county laws vary, typically you should receive any information pertaining to the child that your state’s children’s services has. Some things that might be included in this are:
• Copy of the birth certificate (often a photo copy)
• Social Security card
• Social services case narrative
• Case summaries to the judge
• Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) document
• Proof of reasonable efforts to provide birth parents with services
• Court rulings
• Documented calls to child protective services regarding child
• Past case history information (if applicable)
• Child’s hospital records (if applicable)
• Child’s assessments for mental or physical health (if applicable)
• Family medical history
• Checklist of substances that may have been used by the birth mother
• Form stating whether or not the birth parents are Native American
• Child summary (which should include summary of birth parents and
siblings when available)
Likely, the file will be overwhelming at first. It seems like every time I look in one of my boys’ files, I notice something new about their case. You might feel like there is information lacking on the birthparents. The birth parent’s personal information is typically confidential unless any of it pertains to the child and their interest.
If at anytime before the case finalizes you feel there is information you haven’t received, make sure to contact your child’s case worker. Once in a while something gets left out. It’s much easer to retrieve missing information prior to finalization. If you have any questions regarding your child’s case file, please make a list of questions to ask your case worker. Contrary to what some believe, the only things that are usually documented are those that have to be. If you want a more thorough description of what the child’s birth mother is like, for example, ask the child worker and take notes.
You child’s file is like gold so keep it in safe place and make a copy if you need to. Getting the case information again is not easy. Once the adoption finalizes, those records are sealed, and to my understanding, not to be opened without a court order.
Melissa is a Families.com Christian Blogger. Read her blogs at: http://members.families.com/mj7/blog