Help in looking for an adopted child from 1949/1950

[dustbunny 10]

I have recently found out that I have a cousin who was born around 1949/1950 and was put in care for adoption. I would like to try to trace this person but do not know how to start. the only information that I have is that the child was female and born in sheffield possibly in a home for unmarried mothers in the Totley area. I would like any info on how I can start to begin to look for this person:help:

 

I now know that this child was born 1 St January 1953 and was female. She was adopted and there my search has to stop due to high costs of intermediary agency. If anyone can point me in the right direction to carry on this search I would be very grateful. I am registered with the adoption contact register but has had notification that she has not registered. And Sheffield adoption services have been less than helpful

Edited July 19, 2011 by dustbunny
New information

[Twiglet 10]

I have recently found out that I have a cousin who was born around 1949/1950 and was put in care for adoption. I would like to try to trace this person but do not know how to start. the only information that I have is that the child was female and born in sheffield possibly in a home for unmarried mothers in the Totley area. I would like any info on how I can start to begin to look for this person:help:

 

I'd say one of the first organisations to try would be the Salvation Army, who help to trace people in exactly these circumstances. Good luck

[Le Phantom 10]

I have recently found out that I have a cousin who was born around 1949/1950 and was put in care for adoption. I would like to try to trace this person but do not know how to start. the only information that I have is that the child was female and born in sheffield possibly in a home for unmarried mothers in the Totley area. I would like any info on how I can start to begin to look for this person:help:

Start with Social Services (see the council website for contact details for the adoption service) they hold all the records of all people who were adopted from Sheffield - includes all the old church records too.

 

Not all records survive but in 1949/50 you stand a reasonable chance - though obviously the more details you have the better chance you have, eg pre-adopted name, gender, dob etc.

 

And yes the Sally Army can sometimes help too.

 

Good luck.

[Strix 11]

you mention Totley and a home for unmarried mothers. Don't forget that women were often classified as mad if they managed to get pregnant out of wedlock, and could be institutionalised (and were) right up to the dates you mention.

 

The student halls at Totley Highfields, Sheffield City Polytechnic were once such an institution I believe. They used to stand further up the hill from the Old Hall, which served as the business school at one time

[Cath 10]

dustbunny, there's quite a lot of online search organisations who can help. But be careful of those wanting money! A good place to start would be http://www.norcap.org.uk/search.asp a charity which helps anyone affected by adoption.

 

Whilst in theory Sheffield Social Services should be able to help, in my experience they are unsympathetic and loathe to let you have any information.

[Le Phantom 10]

dustbunny, there's quite a lot of online search organisations who can help. But be careful of those wanting money! A good place to start would be http://www.norcap.org.uk/search.asp a charity which helps anyone affected by adoption.

 

Whilst in theory Sheffield Social Services should be able to help, in my experience they are unsympathetic and loathe to let you have any information.

 

Norcap is fine too but it is SCC that will hold any information. If they are as you suggest then complain (it gets their attention, it really does esp if you know who to address the complaint to and I do just send me a message if you have a problem). Really this would be totally unacceptable as the new Adoption & Children Act 2002 is now fully in force and gives people who are searching new and better rights.

[davyboy 19]

dust bunny,

I believe that it is almost if not totally impossible to find out about adoptions unless you are the one adopted or the parent of the adopted child.All the info on the adoption is not allowed to be divulged to protect them.Social services are not being bl..dy minded as hinted at in another post nor do the Sally army try to find adopted children.

An adopted child is given a new name and a short birth certificate and there is no way that you will be able to connect it to the original under the original name.

Dave

[Le Phantom 10]

dust bunny,

I believe that it is almost if not totally impossible to find out about adoptions unless you are the one adopted or the parent of the adopted child.All the info on the adoption is not allowed to be divulged to protect them.Social services are not being bl..dy minded as hinted at in another post nor do the Sally army try to find adopted children.

An adopted child is given a new name and a short birth certificate and there is no way that you will be able to connect it to the original under the original name.

Dave

 

The new act has changed this, people who are related by blood or are "touched" by the adoption (the term used in the Act) can search. Social Services have the ability to match the birth name with the adopted name. This does not mean a) The records have not been lost (it genuinely happens) b) That they will put you in touch, but at the least they can regisgter the interest so if the adopted person searched they could get in touch if they wanted to.

 

Norcap can & will provide advice, I've rarely found Social Services difficult about this type of issue and if they can help they probably will.

[teeny 10]

as a blood relative you can legally search for family but not as a parent!!! I was adopted at 6 weeks from one of those homes mentioned!! my birth mother had to wait til i was able to contact her and it caused alot of pain on both sides, i love both my adoptive parents and my birth mother dearly

[HottyMcBuff 10]

My mum founded Norcap! Its really nice to see that people are recommending their services, especially up here (their based near oxford). Thankyou very much everyone. The charity has contact leaders all over the country so there are people who you can talk face to face to. If you, or anyone else affected by adoption have any questions in regards to what this thread is discussing, I would definitely recommend calling the service (01865 875000) or contacting social services, but if anyone has any general questions I will field them to my mum.

[dustbunny 10]

It is possible that the year I am looking at maybe 1953 and my aunt was not in a home as first told found an entry in births for the correct surname but the christian name is the same as my aunts so not sure if this was also the childs before it was put for adoption, which totally broke her heart but did not have any other option.

[dustbunny 10]

again on the trail of adopted cousin, she was born 1st January 1953 in Sheffield. Put my name on the contact register but she hasn't. Sheffield social services advise me they do not run a service to help, so have to go via Norcap etc but the costs are too high starting figure is around £600+ with no guarantee at the end. How can you find out which adoption agency they were put with, has anyone tried to do this on their own and what responses did you have?