7/1//2024 Addition:
- When the biological parents place a child for adoption, they are asked to complete and sign a DPP-192-Biological Parent Consent Form. This form provides consent to the inspection of the adoption record by the adult adoptee, provides consent to allow biological relatives (child, grandchild, or sibling of the biological parent or adult adoptee) access to the adoption record, to personal contact by the child/adult adoptee, or to both a combination after the adopted person reaches age twenty-one (21) and requests information. The biological parent may modify their consent at any time.
- When written consent is on file, court, and Cabinet records are available for inspection or copying by the adult adoptee upon order of the court that granted the adoption. However, the court may request the Cabinet to confirm that any filed consent or denial of consent is still valid by ordering the Cabinet to conduct a biological parent search or to verify the death of the biological parent or adoptee.
- In the event there is no past or current consent or denial of consent on file in the court record, the court will order the Cabinet to conduct a search. The Cabinet searches for the biological parents listed on the original birth certificate to obtain their consent or verification of death for the adult adoptee inspection of records. The court order is mandatory to proceed.
- After an affidavit of notification is submitted to the court, the court then issues a form AOC 290.2, which is the court order granting or denying access to the adoption record to the adult adoptee or the relative (child, grandchild, or sibling) who petitioned the court.
- The court mails a copy of the AOC 290.2 to the adult adoptee or the relative (child, grandchild, or sibling) and to the Cabinet.
- When the Cabinet is unable to locate the biological parents, or certifies they are deceased, the circuit or family court judge may shall, if satisfied as to the identity of the adult adoptee, order that the adult adoptee have access to the record. may be provided with identifying information about their biological parents.
- When the Cabinet is unable to locate the biological parents, or certifies they are deceased, the circuit or family court judge may order that the relative (child, grandchild, or sibling) be provided with identifying information about their biological parents/relatives.
1. Instructs an adopted person who is age twenty-one (21) or older
or a relative (child, grandchild, or sibling) attempting to obtain information from closed adoption records, to file an
AOC-290 Petition to Inspect Adoption Records form, with the court that finalized the adoption
2. Notifies each biological parent identified on the original birth certificate that the adult adoptee
or a relative (child, grandchild, or sibling) has requested to inspect the adoption record, upon direction from the circuit or family court;
3. Requests a fee in the amount of one-hundred-fifty dollars ($150) for conducting a biological parent search;
6. Utilizes all available resources to conduct the biological parent search including, but not limited to the following:
8. Provides the biological parent with the following information when notifying the biological parent of the adult adoptee or relative’s (child, grandchild, or sibling) petition to inspect the adoption record:
- The nature of the information requested by the adult adoptee or relative (child, grandchild, or sibling);
- The date of the request of the adult adoptee or relative’s (child, grandchild, or sibling) ; and