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Pennsylvania Adoption Information Registry

The Pennsylvania Adoption Information Registry is a medical and social history database maintained by the Department of Public Welfare for adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth relatives who would like to share or obtain medical or social history about themselves or their birth relatives.

Registry content

Information housed within the registry is gathered from the adoptee, adoptive parents, birth parents, adoption agencies, and the court system.

Adoptive parents and birth parents may submit and update medical and social history information with the registry at any time, and adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents may also authorize the release of identifying information. Additionally, they may withdraw their authorization to release identifying information.

The registry collects the following information from adoption agencies and the courts:

  • Medical records and other information that is relevant to the present or future health of the adoptee or the adoptee’s birth family;
  • Information about the birth parents of a child that may concern a potential hereditary or congenital medical problem;
  • Information about the adoptee and birth relatives of the adoptee, including economic, cultural and ethnic information and a developmental history of the adoptee.

Family contact

Adoptees and adoptive parents may indicate whether or not they wish to have contact with the birth family and may update or change that request for contact at any time. Birth families may indicate whether or not they wish to have contact with the adoptee or adoptive family and may update or change that request for contact at any time.

Updating the registry information

Forms for requesting information and/or contact, registering information, updating information, authorizing the release of information and withdrawing the authorization of release of information or contact with the registry can be found online at http://www.adoptpakids.org/Forms.aspx. These forms will only be accepted in hard copy and must be signed by the person providing the information or requesting the change or update.