The Probate Court's post adoption record services include supplying adoption triad members with non-identifying information from their adoption records and helping these same parties perform searches for and reunions with adult adopted persons and their birth family members. Adoptions are divided into 2 distinct groups, those occurring prior to 1945 and after 1980 and those occurring from 1945 to 1980. If the adoption occurred from 1945 to 1980 then mutual consent to release identifying information (consent expressed by both the adopted person and the birth family member) must be secured prior to the release of identifying information. For those adoptions occurring prior to 1945 and after 1980, no expressed consent is required. Before any identifying information is released to consumers however, the court ensures that no denial of the release of identifying information is on file for this group of adopted persons in the Central Adoption Registry.

Locating the county court or agency that holds a particular adoption record is often challenging for consumers. A quick call to the Kalamazoo County Probate Court's Intake Specialist, Patrick Neal will help get the process started. If Kalamazoo County does not hold the records in question, Mr. Neal will assist consumers in locating the proper venue.

Kalamazoo holds tens of thousands of adoption records dating back to the civil war era. If an adoptive family lived in Kalamazoo County 12 months after the child was placed in their adoptive home, then it is likely that this Probate Court is in possession of the confidentially maintained adoption records. Interested parties to these matters include adults that have been adopted, the adoptive parents of a minor child, the adopted person's birth family members, and the descendants of deceased adopted persons.

Post adoption services are often needed when an adopted person needs a birth certificate, passport, when making a Social Security disability claim, and upon retirement. In the past, life-threatening health concerns were the only reasons that Probate Judges allowed searches and reunions to transpire. As of the 1995 Probate code re-write, adoption search and reunion work is not only offered but is also mandated to be provided by the Court.

The fees for services are as follows: verifying that an adoption occurred for purposes of securing a passport is $31.00, securing non-identifying information from the adoption record costs $60.00. The Court's confidential intermediary charges $250.00 for locating and reuniting parties, whose lives have been touched by adoption.

To initiate action please call Patrick Neal, Intake Specialist, at (269) 384-8193 from Monday to Friday, 8:00-5:00. This voice mail is maintained confidentially, so please leave detailed messages including the actual spelling of all names and dates of adoptions. E-mail inquiries may be directed to KalamazooProbate@Kalcounty.com