Do adopted children want to trace their birth parents?
Most adopted children are curious about their origins but this doesn’t mean that they don’t love their adoptive parents. Since 1975 adopted people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have had the right to see their original birth certificate when they reach the age of 18; in Scotland the age is 16 and this right has existed since legal adoption was first introduced. Some people are satisfied with the fuller knowledge and understanding gained in this way, while others want to try to trace their birth parents or other family members.
