Arkansas Adoption Records
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Accessing Arkansas Adoption Records
In 2018, Arkansas implemented a new law that allows adoptees to unseal their adoption records once they turn 21. While the law provides a way to access Arkansas adoption records, it also comes with red tape, including notary requirements and a fee.
If you want an easier way to reunite with your biological relatives, Adopted.com can help. We offer a voluntary adoption reunion registry where adoptees, birth parents, and others impacted by adoption can connect very quickly.
To join our registry, you don’t need to get a form notarized or pay a fee. All you need to do is answer ten simple questions that most people know about the adoption.
Our registry spans the state of Arkansas, from Fayetteville to Little Rock and everywhere in between. We offer a safe, secure way to reconnect with your birth family. Register for free today to join a community where reunions happen every day.
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3,229 Are Adoptions in Arkansas Open?
Yes, Arkansas allows families to arrange open adoptions. In an open adoption, the adoptive family knows the birth parents’ identities. One or both birth parents may even have ongoing communication with the adopted child, such as phone calls or face-to-face visits.
However, the official adoption files are sealed even in an open adoption. You cannot access the adoption records unless you’re an adoptee over 21 years old.
How Do I Get My Original Birth Certificate if I Was Adopted in Arkansas?
Your original birth certificate is part of your adoption file. You can get this document by submitting a written request to the Arkansas Department of Health if you’re over 21. When you receive your original birth certificate, it will be marked “not intended for official use.”
Arkansas allows birth parents to redact their names from an adoptee’s original birth certificate. If one or both of your birth parents have asked to keep their identities confidential, their names will be removed from the copy you receive.
How to Unseal Adoption Records in Arkansas
Adoptees in Arkansas can request their adoption files once they’re 21 years old. You must complete a form from the Arkansas Department of Health to unseal your adoption records. You’ll need to provide proof of your identity, such as a driver’s license. You’ll also need to have the form notarized.
If an adoptee has passed away, their surviving spouse, child, or child’s guardian can also request their adoption records. You’ll need to complete the same form and include proof of your identity. You’ll also need to submit your own birth certificate and notarized documentation of your relationship to the adoptee. A marriage or birth certificate can satisfy this requirement.
For all requests, there’s a $100 fee to access adoption files. You can submit a check or money order to the Arkansas Department of Health with your mailed application.
How Do You Access Arkansas Public Adoption Records?
Arkansas adoption records aren’t public, and you can only access them if you’re an adoptee or the spouse, child, or child’s guardian of an adoptee who has passed away. If you don’t fall into one of those categories, you’ll need a court order to unseal adoption records in Arkansas.
While the state limits who can access adoption records, you may be able to access some information through the Arkansas Mutual Consent Voluntary Adoption Registry (MCVAR). This voluntary registry can connect birth relatives if they both consent to having contact.
You can register to identify your birth relatives if you’re:
- An adoptee who’s at least 18
- A birth parent
- A birth grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or sibling
To register with the MCVAR, you must complete an affidavit form, attend a one-hour counseling session, and pay $20. Once you complete these steps, you will be notified if one of your biological relatives joins the registry.
Additionally, the MCVAR can provide non-identifying information about an adoption, including genetic, health, and social histories. This information doesn’t include the names of the adoptee, the adoptive parents, or the birth parents.
You can register to access this information if you’re:
- An adoptee who’s at least 18
- A birth parent
- A spouse, child, or child’s guardian of a deceased adoptee
- An adoptive parent or a legal guardian
- A child welfare agency with custody of an adoptee
To obtain this report, you must complete an affidavit form and pay $5.
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Let Adopted.com help you find your lost family today!
Adopted.com is a powerful adoption reunion registry designed to help you reconnect with your birth parents. By registering, you gain access to a growing database of over 1,205,106 profiles, increasing your chances of finding your biological relatives. The platform respects your privacy and allows you to update your profile anytime.
Registration is free, and the unique search tool ensures measurable match results. When you find your birth parents, remember to approach the reunion with an open heart and understanding, as it can be an emotionally significant experience for everyone involved.
Register NowRECENT MEMBERS IN Arkansas
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A Few of Our Members Currently Searching Within Arkansas Who Chose To Be Featured
1216. Blmccar : The mother was from Harvey‚ ND and was very young. She was sent to a school in the Fargo‚ ND area for pregnant teens. Our sister would have been born in Fargo North Dakota. The year is kind of a guess. The mother’s maiden last name is Michelson. The adoption may have taken place in Fargo‚ ND.
1217. JasperKoenig : Father by the name of John Edgington. My mother was Tina Duckett and I was born in 1993. I was immediately given up for adoption. I know of two sisters so far‚ Amanda Wright and Amy Haus‚ but we are waiting for ancestry test to be sure. If you think we may be related‚ please get an ancestry test! We can see each other then and it will show if we share a parent or not. Of course‚ you can always message me too.
1218. Jessicalynn92 : My name is Jessica I’m looking for my brother my mom gave up for adoption when he was 19th months old she lived in Memphis TN at the time Andrea white brothers name Jack Daniels White date of birth sep-4-82 born at Citizens Medical Center in Coby Kansas at 8:38 A.m .A Pastor From Little rock Arkansas came and picked up my brother at the time of adoption adopted parents attended the pastor church there last name was Boiler in Little Rock Arkansas I Got Baby Picture of my brother before the time of adoption I think they changed his name He would be about 40 years old right now Thank you
1219. KJtaylor : Craighead County ‚ Arkansas Jonesboro‚ Arkansas
1220. TedDelozier : My mother was Pauline Delozier she was a single mother in 1967 and went to Arkansas to give birth to a girl. All we know is that the adopted father was a lawyer and she gave birth in Little Rock. My mother searched for her for many years and always regretted the decision she was forced to make.
1221. WildlyBlessed42965 : I was born at St Vincent Hospital in Little Rock‚ AR on 4/29/1965 and went home from the hospital with my adopted parents 3 days later and forever remained with them. I couldn’t have had more loving and dedicated parents. They have both passed away (1994 & 2004) and I am curious about my birth mother‚ medical problems that might be in my birth family‚ and maybe physical & personality traits and talents‚ likes/dislikes that we might have in common. I certainly don’t want to disrupt their lives. Even if they choose not to have contact I just want my birth mother‚ if still alive‚ to know that I have never held any ill feelings. I know she was an unwed teen and during the 1960s‚ & that was a tough situation that she might not have had a lot of control over. She would be at least 70 if still alive. I want you to know I had a wonderful upbringing‚ we certainly didn’t have much money‚ but I was raised in a home full of love. My parents never with held it from me and started explaining it to me by the time I was around 4. I never looked during their lifetime out of love and loyalty to them. Even if I never know your name or anything about you‚ I do want you to know that you made a hard decision‚ but it was the right one. I hope you were able to have a good life with a loving spouse and children. Even if you see this and decide not to contact me‚ I just wanted to ease your mind that you made the right choice‚ that I have had a happy life‚ married my high school sweetheart‚ have two daughters and 3 grandchildren. I wish you much happiness‚ peace‚ and May God bless you!
1222. Brittanimcdonald : Emily (White/Hickman/Milligan) is the birth mother Holly Elizabeth Faye Hickman was the last known name of the child
1223. IrenesDaughter : Irene Sloan was adopted through the Salvation Army in Little Rock Arkansas at about one year of age. She was adopted by Joseph and Mary Schmidt. She thought her birth Mother’s name might have been Emma. Her birth mother visited for almost a year after the adoption. At that time her adopted parents moved away. Her name was changed from Irene Sloan after the adoption. She did try to find her mother as an adult. The Salvation Army did find an address in Little Rock where they believed she had been living with her mother and there was a photograph that may have been her.
1224. Helpme0616 : I want to know my family secrets
1225. Taximeow : I suspect my maternal grandmother‚ Stella Ann (Fitzgerald) Greenfield Wells (1897-1978) was adopted by someone she (& her sister Georgia 1893-1953) claimed was their birth father. I have tested for both MtDna & autosomal dna 5 yrs back. Father: Jerry Fitzgerald 1865-1912 buried in SandHill Cemetery in Jackson County‚ Arkansas. adopted parent Mother: Mary Jane Watkins/Mary Hanks abt 1865-1899 in Cottonplant‚ Arkansas‚ but have not found proof of this. biological parent Do not have Stella’s (or Georgia’s) birth certificate either. We’ve tried to order copy of it‚ (Arkansas) with info the girls gave‚ but are told it does not exist. Stella told me (I’m her granddaughter) when I was young and asked what our nationality was‚ that we were Black Dutch. I think Stella and her sister may have been given up for adoption by their mother‚ & she didn’t die when/where Stella had stated‚ & Jerry adopted them. I’m hoping to find a DNA match that will help me connect to a part of my family I’ve never known. Would mean the world to me to find out their family history. Truly‚ I’ve tried to accept that these questions weren’t going to find answers during my lifetime‚ but I’ll never stop searching. If these names are familiar to you‚ please contact me. If we have dna match‚ please‚ please contact me‚ and together maybe we can figure this out. Thanks so much and have a blessed day!
1226. Sfreeman1617 : Hi! I want to help my husband and his family find their brother. I believe he was adopted at a very young age. At birth‚ he was given the name Tyrone E. Golston‚ but it’s possible his name was changed. He was born in Memphis‚ Tn on 8/13/1991. His birth mom is Carol Golston. He has 4 biological siblings that would love to meet him one day. 💜
1227. KristinaGames1 : Please I am looking for anyone who could be a sibling or any family member of mine.
1228. Misabella : Looking for my son‚ birth name Tallon Hager. Social security misspelled it as "Hagar." Born in Siloam Springs‚ Arkansas 11/09/2009. He was in his father’s care when the state of Arkansas took custody of him.
1229. Elizabethwagner216 : My aunt was given to a school teacher Mrs Brown in Lafore county in Oklahoma after her mom died. Her first name is Goldie. Had to be around 1927 or later. Her mother’s name was Mary Bond who was Chowtah she had a younger brother named Buddy Oliver Johnson. His dad’s name was Green William Johnson.
1230. Johndavidreynolds : I was born in Alamo Hospital in Hot Springs‚ AR. I have my original birth certificate and know my birth mother’s name.
