Intermediary Services
Your Certified Confidential Intermediary will have access to adoption court files, adoption agency information, and vital records information. Because that information is not accessible to the general public, it can make all the difference in a search.
Your CI cannot legally release identifying information to you about your birth relative(s) without their consent, but your CI can search for and outreach to your birth relative(s) to offer the opportunity for a connection.
Who is eligible?
The Confidential Intermediary statute specifies who is eligible to receive service through this program.
- an adopted person 21 years of age or over
- a surrendered person 21 years of age or over (a person who was never adopted, but whose birth parents' rights were surrendered or terminated)
- an adoptive parent of an adopted person under the age of 21
- a legal guardian of an adopted or surrendered person under the age of 21
- a birth parent of an adopted or surrendered person 21 years of age or over
- an adult child of a deceased adopted or surrendered person
- an adult grandchild of a deceased adopted or surrendered person
- an adoptive parent of a deceased adopted or surrendered person
- a legal guardian of a deceased adopted or surrendered person
- a surviving spouse of a deceased adopted or surrendered person
- an adult birth sibling of an adopted or surrendered person whose adopted or surrendered birth sibling is 21 years of age or over, whose common birth parent did not file a denial or option E with the Illinois Adoption Registry Medical Information Exchange indicating that the birth parent does not wish to have contact
- a birth grandparent of an adopted or surrendered person and whose adopted or surrendered birth grandchild is 21 years of age or over whose birth parent did not file a denial or option E with the Illinois Adoption Registry Medical Information Exchange indicating that the birth parent does not wish to have contact
How To Request Service
Reach Out
Every case and story is unique. While we cannot outline every hypothetical scenario on our website, we are more than happy to discuss your specific situation and finds ways in which we might be able to help.
847-298-9096 x21 • ci-illinois@macadopt.org