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Birth Parents
If you surrendered a child for adoption through Boston Children's Services (aka Boston Children's Friend Society or Children's Aid association) or The New England Home for Little Wanderers and are seeking background or search information The Home for Little Wanderers can offer you a number of services.
You will need to complete an application and an authorization form and have these forms notarized before we can begin. You may download an application and authorization or contact Susan Wilson at (617) 264-5346.
The Home for Little Wanderers recognizes the need for information and connections experienced by many birth parents and adoptees. While we would love to be able to provide our assistance free of charge, the sheer volume of requests we receive each year makes that impossible.
Massachusetts' law allows for non-identifying information from our files to be shared with you. The cost for this service is $150.00. The fee covers the cost of locating the appropriate files, reviewing them, and extracting all non-identifying information to share with you in a written format and the time for discussion of any questions or issues you might have. Please allow 2-4 months for the non-identifying report as we get a large number of requests for this service.
If you decide that you would like contact with your birth child and are considering a "search," our agency can do the following:
1) We can update our file with information on yourself and your wish regarding contact if your birth child contacts us for information. (There is a form enclosed for this.) This can be accompanied by a letter to be placed in the file and given to your birth child if they contact us.
2) We can also conduct a "search" for your birth child (he/she must be over 21 years old). The cost for this service is $500.00. Our policy is to spend up to 10 hours on this process. This fee covers the cost of locating the appropriate files, reviewing them, and extracting any identifying information that will be helpful in the search and the time for discussion of any questions or issues you might have.
The search itself generally entails research of vital records, Internet resources and other databases; as well as telephone and written inquiries. As this research can often take place outside of the office and all of our inquiries must be subtle and mindful of protecting confidentiality, the full process can often seem lengthy. While we have a good success rate if, after 10 hours, the party cannot be located we can refer you to other agencies that may be able to assist you. Mass. Law does not allow us to share identifying information with either party without permission. Please allow at least 3-4 months for the results as the process can be time consuming and we get a large number of requests for this service.
3) If you already have the identity and whereabouts of your birth child but would like an adoption professional to make the initial contact for you. A fee of $150.00 includes the verification of the information you provide, initial phone calls to determine if the other party would like to have contact, the exchange of correspondence and the discussion of search related issues and concerns of either party.
We look forward to assisting you in your search and encourage you to call if you have any questions. As we continue to develop services that will assist adopted adults and birth parents your feedback is appreciated. Please call (617) 264-5346 or email at Swilson@thehome.org for further information.
Birth Parents Application and Authorization Form (PDF)
