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

Date: August 2020

Agency or Person Preparing the Report

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 48.425

The Department of Children and Families, a county department, or a licensed child welfare agency shall file a report with the court that shall include the social history and medical records of the child.

Contents of Report About the Adopted Person

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 48.425

The report shall include the following:

  • The social history of the child
  • A medical record of the child on a form provided by the department that shall include the following:
    • A report describing the child's prenatal care and medical condition at birth
    • The medical and genetic history of the child and any other relevant medical and genetic information

Contents of Report About the Birth Family

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 48.425

The report shall include the following:

  • The medical and genetic histories of the birth parents and any medical and genetic information furnished by the birth parents about the child's grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters
  • A report of any medical examination that either birth parent had within 1 year before the date of the petition

When the Report Is Made

Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 48.425; 48.93

The report shall be completed when a petition for the termination of parental rights is filed.

At the time a court enters an order granting an adoption, a copy of the report shall be provided to the adoptive parents. The names and addresses of the child's birth parents and the identity of any provider of health care to the child or the child's birth parents shall be deleted from that copy of the report.

Exceptions for Stepparent or Relative Adoptions

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

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