Confidential Intermediary

Related Terms

• Search
• Search and Consent Procedures

Definition: State employee or trained volunteer sanctioned by the courts, who is given access to sealed adoption files for the purpose of conducting a search. A confidential intermediary may be hired by the inquiring party to conduct a searches for an adopted adult or birth parent or other birth relatives (depending on State laws), make contact with each party, and obtain each person's consent or denial for the release of information. Depending on the particular laws of the State, contact may be attempted once, after a specific time period, or the file may be closed permanently if the party being sought cannot be found.

Also Known As:CI

Related Resources:

Access to Information by State
Who can search, when, and how.

The Open Records Debate
A look at this controversy.

Source/Adapted from: National Adoption Information Clearinghouse

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