Confidential Intermediary Services
Under the current North Carolina Adoption Statute, Children's Home Society of NC may act as a confidential intermediary on your behalf if you are one of the following:
- A biological parent.
- An adult adoptee (age 18 and older).
- An adult biological sibling of an adult adoptee (written permission of birth parent required if living).
- An adult biological half sibling of an adult adoptee (written permission of birth parent required if living).
- An adult family member of a deceased biological parent.
- An adult family member of a deceased adoptee.
- Adoptive parent of a minor child (medical information only).
CHS is permitted to obtain and to share nonidentifying birth family information including an updated health history. If both parties request contact, CHS can share identifying information with the written consent of the individuals involved. Further, if a biological parent is deceased, CHS may obtain a copy of the death certificate and deliver it to the person who requested intermediary services.
Visit the state's website for more information about state law concerning confidential intermediary services.
If you are interested in intermediary services, please send a letter to Post Adoption, Children’s Home Society of NC, PO Box 14608, Greensboro, NC 27415. Be sure to include your full name, date of birth, a copy of your driver’s license or other picture ID, and all contact information including an e-mail address if available. If you are an adoptee, we need the names of your adoptive parents. If you are a birth parent, include your name at the time you received services through the agency.
A non-refundable fee of $500 ($600 for non-CHS adoptees) will be charged to cover the cost of a search and other intermediary services. The fee will include:
- Counseling and preparation for the search.
- An in-house record review.
- A search for one person. If a search reveals that the individual being sought is deceased, an additional fee of $200 may be charged if extensive searching is necessary to locate a relative of the deceased person.
- Contact with the person found in an attempt to obtain current non-identifying health and background information.
- Discussion of the person’s willingness to share identifying information or to have contact with the applicant. With the written consent of both parties, CHS will facilitate the release of identifying information.
If CHS has a current address and phone number for the party being sought and no search is necessary, there will be a non-refundable fee of $200 to be paid by the person initiating services. This fee will cover:
- Counseling and preparation for contact.
- An in-house record review.
- Contact to ascertain willingness for the person being sought to share identifying information. With the written consent of both parties, CHS will facilitate the release of identifying information.
We recommend that all those who enter the Intermediary Program prepare themselves for this very emotional journey by reading adoption-related material and by joining local adoption groups or online groups. You might also want to consider consultation with a counselor who is familiar with adoption issues.
For more information, please call 1-800-632-1400 or contact us.