Questions about adoption?

[Mummyof02]

Hi all I'm quite new to this part of mumsnet but just had a few questions which I thought maybe some of you could help me to understand.
First question: if someone's adopted but that person is now an adult would their be any reason why the birth family wouldn't be able to get in touch?
Second question: under what usual circumstances are adopters able to not tell the child they've adopted them? Like when the child who's adopted has now become a young adult?
Third question: if a person wanted to attempt to look for their birth family but has very little information about them ,where's the best places to start?

I don't really know the rules of adoption and finding families and would appreciate any one who could answer the above, many thanks j x

From what I know, children always know that they are adopted. You would be expected to make them aware of this from day one no matter how old they are. If you wanted to find someone who was adopted you should contact the local authority under which they were adopted and they will contact the child (now adult). Only with their permission would contact then happen.

Children would know they'd been adopted if they remembered of if they'd been told. These days that's strongly encouraged so they always know but that wasn't always the case (and of course there's no way of making adopters do this).

A birth family may not know the adoptees new name - normally they wouldn't. I believe they can leave letters on file with the agency in case the adoptee gets in touch.