The Irish Adoption Contact Register

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What is the APA Irish Adoption Contact Register?

The APA Irish Adoption Contact Register is a database of voluntarily offered information, which was developed to allow mutual and voluntary contact and/or reunion, between adopted people, their natural parents, and extended natural family members. The Register may be used by:

Adopted people (which we take to mean those subject to legal, informal, and de facto adoption, fostered people, and those raised in state-or religious-run institutions) who are over the age of eighteen
The natural parent(s) of an adopted person, searching for a (now adult) child who was placed for adoption, and who is now over the age of eighteen
Other natural family members, searching for an adopted person over the age of eighteen.

We have chosen an age limit of eighteen for the Register because that is the legal age of majority in Ireland. If you are under eighteen years of age, or wish to contact someone who is under the age of eighteen, we regret that you may not use the Irish Adoption Contact Register to do so. You should instead contact the adoption agency which handled the adoption placement (if you do not know the agency involved, contact the Registrar of the Adoption Board, at Shelbourne House, Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland, who will be able to direct you to the agency that handled the adoption).

What it isn't!

The Irish Adoption Contact Register is not a tracing agency, and the APA does not operate a tracing service. As a voluntary organisation, the demands on our time and limited resources would simply be too great.

How does it work?

The Irish Adoption Contact Register can be used, either by post or on the Internet in two main ways:

Using this website you can search the database to find someone who has already registered. The search page allows you to enter various search criteria. If one or more people on the database match these criteria, those registrations will be displayed on your screen. Each result will also show a unique ID number. If you believe you are related to one of the people on the search results page, and you wish to contact him/her, then after registering yourself, you can e-mail match@adoptionireland.com quoting your own ID number and the ID number of the person you have found. The APA will verify (procedure available on request) whether or not you are related. If this is the case, and both parties want contact, then you will be put in touch with each other.
You can enter your own details on the Register, in the hope that the person you are searching for later performs a search of the database and finds you. You will be given an ID number and password when you register, and with these you will also have the facility to update your registration details, or delete them entirely.

Postal registrations and requests for database searches will be accepted on completion of an application form, which is available by writing to:

The Adopted Peoples Association, Ltd.
Contact Register,
14 Exchequer Street,
Dublin 2
Republic of Ireland.

Please enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope (if writing from outside Ireland, please enclose an International Reply Coupon).

Note: The process of tracing a relative can raise many emotional issues for all parties. In the event that you find the process stressful, we would recommend that people seek/avail of counselling.

How much does it cost?

Thanks to the kind sponsorship of Tesco Ireland, the Adopted Peoples Association is delighted to announce that there is absolutely no charge to either registrants, or those seaching the Irish Adoption Contact Register! This applies whether you register online (preferred) or via the postal service.

Ethics

The APA Irish Adoption Contact Register is operated under the following principles: The Register may only be used by those aged eighteen or over, who are either searching for or willing to be contacted by a person also over the age of eighteen. The cost of the service to the user will be kept to an absolute minimum. At present we are able to offer the service entirely free of charge due to the kind sponsorship of Tesco Ireland Information entered on the Register will be used solely for the purpose of mutual and voluntary contact.

Privacy

The APA will maintain any personal contact details you submit to the Irish Adoption Contact Register in the strictest confidence. When you register, you will be asked to fill in a detailed form, which includes contact information. This contact information will not be visible to members of the public using the database search facility. Only designated personnel in the APA will have access to it, and it will only be released to someone who is searching for you when you have given your permission in writing. Important: The APA continues to campaign for statutory post-adoption services. When the APA has satisfied itself that such services, when introduced, are to a sufficiently high standard, it is our intention to hand over this Register and its database to the State.

Other organisations and points of contact

Beginning a trace is not something to be undertaken lightly. You may wish to contact one of the following organisations, all of which have a function in the provision of information and advice to adopted people and/or natural parents (either themselves or through affiliates or contacts of their own).

Adoption Loss (formerly the Natural Parents Network of Ireland/NPNI)

Adoption Loss is a voluntary self-help organisation formed in 1996 by a group of women who had been parted from their children by adoption in the past. They provide help to natural families separated by adoption in four ways: Individual advice by email or letter; Monthly open meetings; Information to Media on adoption issues; Views to Government on adoption legislative reform. Postal address: PO Box 6714, Dublin 4; Email: secretary@adoptionloss.ie; Telephone helpline: Sundays 2pm-4pm only (086) 8530 140; Or visit the Adoption Loss website.

Adoptive Parents Association of Ireland

The Adoptive Parents Association of Ireland is the representative organisation for adoptive parents. Postal address: Albain, Piercetown, Co Meath e-mail: apai@tinet.ie Telephone: (intl)+353 1 825 2043

Barnardos

Barnardos provides support groups for adopted people and natural mothers. They provide counselling, information and advice and training. They also operate a telephone Adoption Advice Service- Tuesdays 2pm to 5pm, Thursdays 10am to 2pm, on (01) 454 6388. Postal address: Christchurch Square, Dublin 8 e-mail: adoption@barnardos.ie

The International Soundex Reunion Registry

The International Soundex Reunion Registry is the world's largest and most successful mutual consent reunion registry and is a free service. Get your free registration form by sending a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope to: I.S.R.R. P.O. Box 2312 Carson City, Nevada 89702-2312 You can reach them by phone at (702) 882-7755.

Other adoption-related links are available from the Links section of the APA website. Requests to be listed on either page should be sent to webmaster@adoptionireland.com.

Click on a link to the left to continue using the Irish Adoption Contact Register.

The Irish Adoption Contact Register is sponsored by

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