Post-adoption support
An adopted child and his/her family are entitled to receive adoption counselling after the adoption is implemented. Adoption counselling is provided by a social worker specialising in adoption matters. The parties to an adoption also have the right to access documents concerning themselves, free of charge.
The following parties have the right to access to documents created in the adoption process:
- the adoptee,
- descendants of the adoptee,
- the adoptive parents.
The right to access to documents includes the following:
- the right to receive information on documents concerning oneself that were created during the adoption process, free of charge,
- necessary support and counselling offered by an intercountry service provider or adoption counselling social worker in disclosing the aforementioned information.
When you want to examine documents concerning yourself and to find further information on your adoption, please contact the adoption counselling service provided by your wellbeing services county or the intercountry adoption service provider.
To get started, request post-adoption support services from one of the above, who will assist you or refer you to the appropriate authority. The party that, under the Adoption Act, is responsible for storing the documents is also responsible for information disclosure as referred to here. In the case of intercountry adoption, the service provider that originally arranged the adoption is responsible for storing documents (Interpedia, Save the Children or City of Helsinki Health and Social Services). In the case of domestic adoption, the relevant wellbeing services county or the adoption agency Save the Children is responsible for storing documents.
Adoption counselling is available for advice, help and support to all parties of an adoption in various life situations after the adoption.
Post-adoption counselling is given by a social worker specialising in adoption matters at the family law services unit in your wellbeing services county or at a regional office of Save the Children.
Post-adoption counselling includes:
- support and someone to talk to for adoptees whenever an adoptee wishes to discuss the adoption or to find information concerning themselves,
- support for adoptive parenting after the family receives the adopted child,
- support for adoptive parenting in various life situations of the child and of the family,
- a support needs evaluation if the client so requests,
- referral to other forms of support.
Respecting the identity rights of adopted children is a cornerstone of Finland’s Adoption Act.
In this context, the term ‘identity rights’ is understood specifically as the right of an adoptee to be informed of:
- their family background,
- the circumstances of their birth,
- their original name,
- the time and execution of the adoption process.
The purpose of post-adoption support services is to safeguard the identity rights of adoptees and to offer individual counselling and support in making enquieries as needed.
Building the big picture of the progress of an adoption process and finding out about available information may require action to be taken by the Finnish adoption service provider that arranged the adoption and cooperation with the adoption authorities in the adopted child’s country of birth.
Even if the available information is scarce or incomplete, it is important for adoptees to be able to discuss the matter with an adoption professional if they so wish, including the significance of such a lack of information.
The Finnish government funds post-adoption services provided by adoption service providers in Finland, and the Adoption Board monitors progress in this field to ensure that the rights of adoptees to find out information about themselves is safeguarded as far as possible.
If you have been adopted from abroad and, after reviewing your background information, you have concerns that not everything in your adoption process was strictly appropriate, do this:
- To initiate a review of the case, contact the Finnish adoption service provider that originally arranged the adoption (Interpedia, Save the Children or the City of Helsinki).
- Also contact the Adoption Board if you have the least concern in the matter.
The Adoption Board does not itself review individual cases of adoption. The Adoption Board oversees the operations of adoption service providers and collaborates with foreign authorities as necessary to evaluate and improve the security of adoption processes.
The purpose of the Hague Adoption Convention is to make adoptions safer for adopted children. The rights of the child in adoptions can be best safeguarded by ensuring that children adopted to Finland are adopted through the official system.
Frequently Asked Questions about post-adoption support
Post-adoption support is a service offered to the parties in an adoption process. Post-adoption support service allows you to discuss adoption-related issues and to receive support for dealing with such issues from an adoption professional. Depending on your individual needs, the service may include:
- guidance and support in examining the adoption documents,
- personal support in conversation with a social worker specialising in adoption matters,
- a support needs assessment requested from a social worker in adoption counselling services and referral to other support as required,
- support given by the intercountry adoption service for gaining access to documents created in the country of origin,
- support given by the intercountry adoption service for making inquiries in the country of origin, when possible,
- support given by the intercountry adoption service for planning a ‘birthcountry tour’ to the country of origin, as far as possible.
In cases of domestic adoption, adoptees and their biological parents can receive post-adoption counselling at the family law services unit in their wellbeing services county or at a regional office of Save the Children. Post-adoption counselling is provided free of charge.
In cases of intercountry adoption, adoptees are entitled to post-adoption counselling given by the family law services unit in their wellbeing services county or at a regional office of Save the Children. They are also entitled to post-adoption services through the Finnish adoption service provider that arranged their adoption to Finland. Adoptees, descendants of adoptees and adoptive parents are entitled to access to information in the documents created in the adoption process.
Adoption counselling services are provided free of charge. Information from archived documents is also provided free of charge. By contrast, you may expect to incur costs if inquiries are conducted abroad about an intercountry adoption or if you plan to visit your country of birth and require the services of the service provider abroad. Foreign adoption authorities may charge official fees for their services. You may request information on such costs from the service provider.
All parties to an adoption – the biological parents, the adopted child, the adoption applicant and the adoptive parents – are entitled to post-adoption counselling.
Adoptees, descendants of adoptees and adoptive parents are entitled to access to information in the documents created in the adoption process.
If you have been adopted domestically in Finland, contact the family law services unit in your wellbeing services county and request post-adoption counselling. In some wellbeing service counties, adoption counselling is provided by regional offices of Save the Children. You can find out who provides adoption counselling by contacting the family law services unit in your wellbeing services county or by contacting Save the Children.
If you have been adopted to Finland from abroad, you need to find out which service provider originally arranged your adoption (City of Helsinki, Interpedia or the intercountry adoption service of Save the Children) and contact that service provider. The service provider’s post-adoption service includes guidance on reviewing the adoption documents and, as possible, making inquiries with the adoption authorities in your country of origin and giving assistance to you in planning a ‘birthcountry visit’.
You can refer to guidance in the manual issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Adoptioneuvontaopas [Adoption counselling guide] and in the Adoption Act. Please also contact the Finnish adoption service provider that originally arranged the adoption (City of Helsinki, Interpedia or the intercountry adoption service of Save the Children). The adoption service provider will have information on post-adoption support practices in the countries of origin and know-how on conducting post-adoption inquiries in countries of origin and on giving assistance for planning ‘birthcountry visits’.