2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 45a - Probate Courts and Procedure
Chapter 803 - Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption
Section 45a-746 - (Formerly Sec. 45-68e). Information available to adoptive parents and adult adopted or adoptable person.

(a) To the extent reasonably available, the following information concerning the biological parents of any adopted or adoptable person shall be recorded by the child-placing agency or department which has access to the information, in writing on a form provided by the department: (1) Age of biological parents in years, not dates of birth, at the birth of the adopted or adoptable person; (2) heritage of the biological parent or parents, which shall include (A) nationality, (B) ethnic background and (C) race; (3) education, which shall be number of years of school completed by the biological parent or parents; (4) general physical appearance of the biological parent or parents at the time of the birth of the adopted or adoptable person in terms of height, weight, color of hair, eyes, skin and other information of a similar nature; (5) talents, hobbies and special interests of the biological parent or parents; (6) existence of any other child or children born to either biological parent of the adopted or adoptable person; (7) reasons for placing the child for adoption or for biological parental rights being terminated; (8) religion of biological parent or parents; (9) field of occupation of biological parent or parents in general terms; (10) health history of biological parent or parents and blood relatives, on a standardized form provided by the department; (11) manner in which plans for the adopted or adoptable person’s future were made by biological parent or parents; (12) relationship between the biological parents; (13) any psychological, psychiatric or social evaluations, including the date of the evaluation, any diagnosis, and a summary of any findings; and (14) any other relevant nonidentifying information. In addition, such information to the extent reasonably available and applicable concerning the biological and adoptive grandparents, adoptive siblings, and siblings of the whole blood and half-blood and such siblings of the biological parents shall be recorded by the child-placing agency or department which has access to the information in writing on a form provided by the department.

(b) The information in subsection (a) of this section, if available, shall be given in writing to the adopting parents not later than the date of finalization of the adoption proceedings.

(c) The information in subsection (a) of this section and any other nonidentifying information furnished to the child-placing agency from time to time shall be made available in writing upon written request to the following persons provided the child-placing agency or department is satisfied as to the identity of such persons: (1) The adopted or adoptable person who is an adult; (2) the adoptive parents of the adopted person, provided if the adopted person is an adult, such adopted person must give notarized permission to the parents; (3) the guardian or legally authorized representative of an adopted or adoptable person; (4) if the adopted or adoptable person is deceased, any adult descendants, including legally adopted descendants, of such person, provided a certificate of death of such person is presented. Any information requested pursuant to this section shall be provided to the applicant within sixty days of receipt of the request. The child-placing agency, department or court shall notify in writing any person making such request if the information cannot be made available within sixty days and shall state the reason for the delay.

(d) At any time, upon written request, any biological parent shall be given in writing, for purposes of verifying, correcting and adding information, any information in subdivisions (1) to (14), inclusive, of subsection (a) of this section, provided the child-placing agency, department or court is satisfied as to the identity of the parent making this request. Such information shall be provided within sixty days of receipt of such request unless the child-placing agency, department or court notifies the person requesting such information that it cannot be made available within sixty days and states the reason for the delay. Any such biological parent who believes such information to be inaccurate or incomplete may add a statement to the record setting forth what he or she believes to be an accurate or complete version of such information or updated information. Such statement shall become a permanent part of the record and shall be included with any information disclosed pursuant to this section.

(e) None of the information provided for in this section shall be made available if it is of such a nature that it would tend to identify a biological parent or parents of the adopted person, except as provided in sections 45a-750, 45a-751, 45a-751a, 45a-751b and 45a-753.

(f) The provisions of chapter 55 shall not apply to the provisions of this section.

(P.A. 77-246, S. 3; P.A. 80-476, S. 161; P.A. 81-40, S. 1; P.A. 87-555, S. 4; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 40, 130; P.A. 96-130, S. 24; P.A. 99-166, S. 11.)

History: P.A. 80-476 rephrased provisions; P.A. 81-40 permitted genetic parents to inspect and correct adoption information; P.A. 87-555 added “to the extent reasonably available, the”, added “or adoptable”, deleted “at the time of birth of the adopted person” and added Subsec. (m) and provision re additional information which shall be recorded and amended provision re access to information; Sec. 45-68e transferred to Sec. 45a-746 in 1991; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 made technical changes, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 96-130 amended Subsecs. (a), (d) and (e) by changing “genetic” to “biological” and amended Subsec. (c) by deleting Subdivs. (1) to (5), inclusive, and inserting new Subdivs. (1) to (4), inclusive; P.A. 99-166 amended Subsec. (a) by to add new Subdiv. (13) re any psychological or social evaluations, including date of evaluation, diagnosis, and summary of findings, renumbering Subdiv. (13) as (14), and amended Subsec. (d) to make a technical change.