text: Birth parents and adoptees may search for each other after the adoptee reaches the age of 18. Because Holt's headquarters are in Oregon, Oregon law governs all post-adoption services by Holt, such as birth search and file copies. Oregon Statutes 109.425 & 109.455 requires an adoptee to be 18 or older to initiate a search, and has to initiate the search themselves. The release of birth parent identifying information is also covered by these laws, as well as the laws of the birth country.
  In most cases what is in our file here at Holt International is the same information that your parents received at the time of the adoption, and comprises everything we are able to release. Because documents can be lost or destroyed over the decades, we are happy to provide you with copies whenever possible. Please see File Copies for additional information.
  Requesting an assessment is the first step in the process. Holt International and Holt Sahathai Foundation (HSF) will review your file to determine if there is enough information on which to base a search. Holt will not begin a search until the assessment process has been completed.
  Conduct an assessment of your file to determine if a search is possible. This may require consulting with HSF. While we work cooperatively with our overseas partners, we cannot guarantee a specific response time frame. This process can last a few weeks to several months, depending on the time of year, volume of requests, and complexity of cases. We appreciate your understanding.
  Request for Birth Family Search in Thailand (must be notarized)
  Check payable to Holt International in the amount of $200. Note on the check: "HSF Search Fee".
  WHAT HSF WILL DO?
  Upon receipt of the letter and photos via email, HSF will attempt to locate current contact information for the birth parents. This information cannot be released to Holt International or the adoptee.
  If HSF is unable to locate the correct person, or the address on file is no longer valid, they will notify us and the search will be closed.
  HSF will notify Holt should birth family be found, or when the case is closed because they have received no response and have run out of resources. Holt will then notify you of the outcome.
  Please be aware that a search in Thailand can be a very long, slow process depending on the amount of information regarding the birth parent, and the current work load of the dedicated HSF staff. Searches have been completed in as little as 6 months, or as along as 3-4 years. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
  We do recommend that adoptees gather a complete set of their documents from their adoptive parents and/or from Holt before beginning a search. If you are unsure if you have a complete copy of your child materials, or your documents have been lost or destroyed over time, we are very happy to provide you with another copy.
  In order to determine if a search is possible, your file is reviewed first by Holt International in conjunction with HSF, if needed. This is referred to as the "assessment." An assessment of your file is needed to determine if a search for birth family is possible. Holt will review all of the documents in your file, including any intake notes in our possession, and determine if there is enough information to conduct a search. This will depend on how you came into care, how much information was provided to Holt and HSF at that time, and several other factors. You are welcome to request the assessment only, without any file copies, at no charge.
  If Holt and HSF determine there is enough information on which to base a search, Holt will request you complete some legal forms, and provide an introductory letter and a couple of photos of you growing up and a current photo. Experience has shown that when birth family are contacted, the first thing they ask for is a current photo, and to know how they are, what their life has been like. Only the letter and photos will be forwarded to HSF, via email. The legal documents are for our records, and are required by law. Due to the rising cost of conducting a search in Thailand, HSF is now charging a $200 search fee, and any expenses incurred during the search, such as travel and lodging. The $200 search fee is due at the time the search is request, and will be forwarded to HSF. Any additional expenses will be due at the completion of the search.
  It can be quite difficult to locate someone in Thailand by name or name and age only. Birth parents may have moved to another district and not left any information concerning their new whereabouts. Some birth parents may not have had a permanent address at the time of relinquishment.
  Birth parent contact information isn't released without that person's permission, just like Holt wouldn't release your identifying information without your permission. In the case of search and reunion, it's important that both parties are comfortable with the contact and that the new relationship starts out on the right foot. Holt and HSF can help with that, and will be very happy to exchange information when you're both comfortable and the appropriate forms have been completed. By utilizing the agencies, translations will be handled for you, but you are certainly welcome to be in touch directly when you both agree.[/expand]
  In Thailand, like many countries, a birth certificate is not automatically issued when a child is born. In the U.S. when a baby is born the hospital or clinic contact the state vital records department and the birth is registered and a birth certificate issued — basically all done automatically. Birth parents simply provide all of the information such as their names and the baby's name, and the rest is handled by the government. In Thailand, to obtain a birth certificate, the child's birth parent or legal guardian must request one from the government, and it can be issued years after the child's birth. Lost or abandoned children may not have ever had a birth certificate, or it may be impossible to know which of hundreds issued at that time belong to a particular child. Children who are placed for adoption must have one, so it is either created for that child by the agency/guardian, or the birth parent requests it at the time of relinquishment. Abandoned children with no known birth parent information are often issued a document which states that birth parents are unknown.
  International searches can happen in a short time, but most are a very lengthy process. There is no set time frame, it truly depends on the amount of information provided at the time of relinquishment. Changes within the country can also delay a search, such as neighborhoods or villages devastated by natural disasters, blocks of houses that are now towering apartment buildings or shopping malls. Time of year, information available, current workloads; all impact the time frames. Holt and HSF are very committed to helping adoptees in any way they can.