Keeping in Touch with the Birth Parents Agencies are required by law to keep records for 99 years. Agencies maintain a registry for birth parents to contact their children at age 21, if their children have previously registered. Independents have no such law requiring them to keep records. The department of health keeps an adoption registry, however, very few adult adopted persons or birth parents register with the department. Keeping Promises Agencies continue contact with adoptive parents and birth parents and know what promises were made.
Agencies strive, to the best of their abilities, to make sure promises are kept.
Independents do not always keep in contact with birth parents or adoptive parents once the adoption is finalized. They do not have any incentive to ensure promises are kept. Both agencies and independents maintain the complete confidentiality of their clients and allow the birth parents and adopting families to have control over the degree of openness and contact between birth parents and adoptive families. Adoption is not a one-time event. Professionals need to start looking at adoption as a life-long process.