Starting July 1, 2023, Vermont’s new adoption law will allow adopted persons 18 and over (and their direct descendants) to get:
- Their original birth certificate — if they were born in Vermont.
- Identifying information about their biological/former parents — if the adoption was finalized in Vermont and the parents did not file a request for nondisclosure.
Adopted people and their descendants:
- May contact the Vermont Department of Health to request their original birth certificate.
- Starting July 1, the form will be available on the Department of Health website: healthvermont.gov/PreAdoptionBirthCertificate.
- Cost: $10.00
- They will receive:
- A certified copy of the original birth certificate;
- A copy of any adoption-related document filed with the birth certificate (e.g., adoption report or adoption decree); and
- Information from the Vermont Adoption Registry, if available, that may indicate whether the former/biological parent(s) would like to have contact and, if so, how they’d like it to happen: directly or through an intermediary
- May file a form with the Vermont Adoption Registry to indicate whether they’d like to have their contact information released to the former/biological parent(s) and/or sibling(s).
- May contact the Vermont Adoption Registry to request any additional information they may be eligible for.
Resources:
- To learn more and get copies of the forms, go to https://dcf.vermont.gov/registry/adoption.
- If you have questions for the Vermont Adoption Registry, call (802) 241-0906 or email christina.shuma@partner.vermont.gov.
- If you are a biological/former parent looking for more information, read this post.
- If you are a biological/former parent or adopted person that needs counseling support, please contact katev@lundvt.org.
