Obtaining your birth records is a major decision, as it is a highly emotional experience and for some it can be a life changing process.  Some adopted people have thought about the possibility of searching for many years, for others some event or personal experience triggered the decision to take the next step.  There is no ‘right time’ to start, but there can be a ‘wrong time’.  If you are going through a difficult or emotional period, or have recently experienced a life changing event, such as a death or the birth of a child. It might be better to wait until things settle down before you start the process, as it is important to choose a time when your life is stable and you have support around you. 
  
How to apply for access to your adoption records
If you know the name of the agency who arranged your adoption then you can make a direct approach to them.  Or, if you have your birth details (your birth name,  your birth mothers name and your place of birth) you can make an application to your local adoption agency. If you do not have this information you will need to:    

• Contact the Register General if you were born and adopted in England or Wales
• If you were adopted in Scotland, Ireland or overseas (even if you were born in England or Wales) you should contact the Register General for that country  

You can contact the Register General for England and Wales in writing, by telephone or online:

Adoptions Section, Room C201, General Register Office, Trafalgar Road, Southport, PR8 2HH
Tel: 0151 471 4830, Email: adoptions@ons.gsi.gov.uk 

 
WWISH adoption service is a registered adoption agency. We offer the ‘Access to Records Service’ to adopted adults who live in Warrington, regardless of which agency arranged their adoption, and also to adopted adults whose adoption was arranged by Warrington Borough Council, regardless of where they live. Applicants must be aged 18 years or over. 

Once you have had access to your adoption records and have had time to consider all the information you’ve received, what happens next is up to you. You may be satisfied with the information you have received and don’t wish to pursue the matter any further.  Or you might want to try to contact your birth relatives. You could then register with the adoption contact register and/or apply for an intermediary service. 

Warrington, Wigan and St. Helens adoption teams have joined together to become WWISH Adoption Service who can be contacted at:

WWISH Adoption Service
Oaklands
196a Newton Road
Lowton
Nr Warrington
WA3 2AQ
Tel: 01942 487 272