Providing Adoptive Parents With Information About Adoptees and Their Birth Families - Tennessee

Agency or Person Preparing the Report

Citation: Ann. Code § 36-1-133

The Department of Children's Services shall provide nonidentifying information about the birth family from the adopted person's sealed adoption record.

Contents of Report About the Adopted Person

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 36-1-116; 36-1-133

The petition to adopt must include the following:

• The court report required by law on the investigation of the conditions and antecedents of the child sought to be adopted
• The birth date, State, and county or country of birth of the child, if known
• The value of the personal and real property owned by the child or in which the child may have some legal or equitable interest

The information that may be released from the sealed adoption record shall include only the following:

• The date and time of the birth of the adopted person and the person's weight and other physical characteristics at birth
• The available health history of the adopted person, including specifically any psychological or psychiatric information that would be expected to have any substantial effect on the adopted person's mental or physical health

Contents of Report About the Birth Family

Citation: Ann. Code §§ 36-1-111; 36-1-133

A surrendering party shall complete a social and medical history form as promulgated by the department, or a substantially similar form, and attach the completed and executed form to the surrendering party's presurrender information form.

The information that may be released from the sealed adoption record shall include only the following:

• The nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, races, and religious preferences of the birth or legal relatives
• The educational levels, general occupations, and any talents or hobbies of the birth or legal relatives
• General physical descriptions of the birth or legal relatives, including height, weight, color of hair, color of eyes, complexion, and other similar information
• Whether the birth or legal parent had any other children and, if so, any available nonidentifying information about such children
• Available health histories of the adopted person's birth or legal relatives, including specifically any psychological or psychiatric information that would be expected to have any substantial effect on the adopted person's mental or physical health

When the Report Is Made

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Exceptions for Stepparent or Relative Adoptions

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.