Tracing Birth Family

SERVICES PROVIDED

The organisation specialises in the search for roots of adult adoptees who wish to seek their biological family, and provides the following services : 

  • Information regarding adoption legislation, the rights of adult adoptees, as well as the legal means to search for roots.
  • Conducting a social survey (preparation – social survey procedure – results – possible reunification)
  • Psycho-social support. Throughout the entire process of the search for roots, qualified professionals are at your disposal for proper preparation, encouragement and counselling for any difficulties and emotions that may arise 

THE ORGANISATION’S POSITIONS

At Roots Research Center, we believe that the search of the adopted child for their birth parents, as well as reunification, should be allowed and encouraged, with the consent of the adopted adult, and after both parties have received appropriate support from specialists. 

The same procedure needs to be followed in the case of the search for an extensive family member family, in the event that the biological parents have passed away, as many adopted people express a desire and need to search in this direction.

At Roots Research Center we make sure to include both sides in our searches, as do some sensitive Social Services.

LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

The search for roots is based on article 1559 of Law 2447/96, which stipulates that every adopted child, after reaching adulthood, has the right to be fully informed about their biological family and biological identity by any lawful competent authority.

In addition, the social service or organisation that has participated in the adoption “is obliged to provide, when requested by the person concerned, its assistance in the search for roots under the conditions allowed by law”.

At this stage, according to the law, biological parents do not have the right to search for their biological children and should expect the child to search for them.

Since 1999 the Center has carried out cases regarding :

a) Adult adoptees in search of their birth families (600 cases)

b) Birth relatives in search of adoptees (400 cases)

c) Search requests by parents whose babies “disappeared” after their birth in maternity hospitals (350 cases)

In order to carry out the work, Roots is working together with all Greek baby centers, active or not. Regarding the inactive foundling baby centers, such as the ones in the areas of Patra, Athens, Piraeus, Kalamata, Herakleion, Crete, Volos and the angency PIKPA. Roots collaborates with the social services that mediates and helps the gaining of access to their records. Regarding the active Baby centers, such as PIKPA, Mitera the Prefectures ( Social welfare) and the International Social Service (ISS) the same procedure is followed Roots Center has helped a great number of  both in Greece and abroad to reunite with their birth families,  always using legally accepted means of search.

“The reason I conducted the search was to find Someone I shared the same blood with… I wanted my birth mother to know that I had been thinking about her often…” – testimonial by an adult female adoptee.

I was born in Athens in 1972 and my parents had me illegally – a virtual birth. I am looking for my biological family. Inquire at moiraroots@gmail.com