Spence-Chapin maintains thousands of records from its 115+ year history. We help adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents find the information they are seeking, and help support them throughout the process. Spence-Chapin also acts as a repository for records for Louise Wise Services , Talbot Perkins, and the Sophia Fund. To learn more about all of the services we offer, read our list of PARR services.
Choose the agency connected to your adoption to get started, and explore the steps below for guidance on how to move forward.
Eligible individuals who are interested in receiving information from a Spence-Chapin record can contact Spence-Chapin’s Post-Adoption Records and Resources Department at (212) 400-8145 or [email protected] to receive more information on our services. All eligible individuals must submit a PARR application to receive services. View the application here. All applications must be printed, signed, and notarized. Please mail completed applications with $50 fee, and proof of ID to:
Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children
120 East 16th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Attn: Post Adoption Records
Spence-Chapin only maintains Talbot Perkins records from before 1960. If your adoption was planned through Talbot Perkins in or after 1960, please contact the Administration for Children’s Services at (212) 341-0900.
Eligible individuals who are interested in receiving information from a pre-1960 Talbot Perkins record can contact Spence-Chapin’s Post-Adoption Records and Resources Department at (212) 400-8145 or [email protected] for more information. All eligible individuals must submit a PARR application to receive services. View the application here. All applications must be printed, signed, and notarized. Please mail completed applications with $50 fee, and proof of ID to:
Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children
120 East 16th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Attn: Post Adoption Records
Individuals who are interested in receiving information from a Louise Wise adoption record.
Please note that available information differs between client types. Please be advised that Spence-Chapin cannot share confidential information with anyone other than an approved applicant without proof of guardianship or power of attorney. Confidential information can only be discussed with approved applicants who have submitted an application and only after the approved applicant’s identity has been verified. Even after application approval and identity verification has been completed, identifying information cannot be disclosed under most circumstances. Spence-Chapin is legally bound and limited in the information we can provide.
Adoption records in the State of New York are sealed and confidential in accordance with New York Domestic Relations Law section 114; and therefore, Spence-Chapin is legally bound and limited in the information we can provide. New York State Public Health Law section 4138-c only permits the release of certain non-identifying information.
The Spence-Chapin staff is here to help you navigate the process of obtaining the information you are seeking, and can help facilitate connections once individuals are identified, if you wish. See below a list of the services we offer. If you’re interested in more emotional support, you can learn more about our therapy and consultation services here.
Under NY and NJ law, Spence-Chapin, as an authorized/licensed adoption agency, can provide certain individuals with a summary of non-identifying information from their adoption record. This may include social and medical background information.
If you are ready to begin your search, have recently considered reunion or have been connected to biological family, we can offer support. Our staff provides compassionate, confidential support for individuals seeking to reconnect with birth family members. We guide adoptees, birth parents, and biological relatives through each step of the process—from understanding available records, registry, and search options and preparing for contact.
Persons eligible for NYSAIR (the New York State Adoption Information Registry) can apply directly to NYSAIR or can send their NYSAIR application to Spence-Chapin instead, who can then help expedite their request with NYSAIR. Once Spence-Chapin forwards the NYSAIR application to the NYSAIR office on the client’s behalf, NYSAIR will contact the client directly to confirm registration. If the client does not hear from NYSAIR within 4 months after receiving notice from Spence-Chapin that their NYSAIR application has been forwarded to the NYSAIR office, the client should contact NYSAIR directly. *Please note that a PARR Application is required for Spence-Chapin to process this request, which can be found here.
Spence-Chapin can facilitate contact between birth family and adoptive family who mutually executed a written openness/post-adoption contact agreement at the time of adoption planning but have since lost contact or have experienced challenges with current contact.
Post-Adoption staff offer mediation services for birth parents and adoptive families focused on strengthening or reestablishing an open adoption relationship in a respectful, child-centered way. Our staff serve as a neutral mediator to help both parties clarify expectations, address misunderstandings, and create or update communication agreements that feel healthy and sustainable for everyone involved.
These services can include facilitating conversations about contact (visits, calls, photos, and updates), setting boundaries, navigating life changes, and resolving conflicts before they escalate. Mediation provides a safe, structured space where birth parents and adoptive families can be heard, rebuild trust, and collaborate on an open adoption plan that supports the child’s emotional well-being and long-term sense of connection.
To inquire about mediation services contact us at (646) 539-2167 or at [email protected]
Original birth certificates are only available through government vital record offices. Spence-Chapin cannot process these requests. You can find information on how to access these records based on the state you live in below.
As of January 15, 2020, adopted persons who were born and/or adopted in New York State are eligible to apply for their original (pre-adoption) birth certificates. Direct decedents of deceased adopted persons are also eligible to apply.
For those born in one of the five boroughs of New York City, original birth certificates are available here through the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
For those born New York State but outside of New York City, original birth certificates are available here through the New York State Department of Health.
Eligible adopted persons, birth parents and biological siblings can register to exchange contact information with a related party through the New York State Adoption Information Registry (NYSAIR). Both parties must be registered before information can be exchanged. Through NYSAIR, birth parents may also anonymously leave health history information for the adopted persons. More information about NYSAIR can be found here.
As of January 1, 2017, authorized individuals may obtain an uncertified copy of an adopted person’s original birth certificate and other related documents. For more information, please see New Jersey Vital Statistics FAQ’s, which can be found here.
Individuals interested in obtaining a birth certificate from the New Jersey Vital Statistics Office can find application instructions here.
Eligible birth parents interested in submitting contact preference information and/or family history information to the New Jersey Vital Statistics Office can do so online here.
Original birth certificate laws vary state by state. The Adoptee Rights Law organization offers a state-by-state list of original birth certificate laws, which can be found here.
For those who were adopted in New York but born in another state, the agency that facilitated the adoption may be able to provide clients with information that would have been on the original birth certificate. If Spence-Chapin maintains your record, you may apply for information through the PARR application process
Waiting Children Profiles
Thank you for your interest in adopting through Spence-Chapin! We are able to share the profiles of children who are considered to be the most in need and are waiting internationally to be matched with an adoptive family. The children featured on this page have been waiting for the longest to find families and consist of children who are older, part of a sibling group, or children with a diagnosed medical condition. In order to respect the privacy of these children, this page has been password protected.
Spence-Chapin takes the privacy rights of the children that we are seeking to place very seriously, and share the profile with you under the following conditions:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PASSWORD ACCESS
That you acknowledge and understand that
1. Misuse of the content, and/or linking to any sites that reflect practices that involve the sale, abduction, exploitation, or trafficking of children is strictly prohibited.
2. You have been given limited access to confidential information in the form of images that you will not disclose to any person or in any manner that is inconsistent with applicable policies and procedures of Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children.
3. The confidentiality obligation shall continue indefinitely, including at all times after my association with Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children.
4. You are not permitted to release, copy, distribute, or sell any of these images to third parties in any form.
5. Impermissible disclosure of the images may result in legal actions being taken against you, by or on behalf of that person.
6. You are doing this freely, voluntarily and with a full understanding of what you are agreeing to by entering/accessing this blog.
7. Thank you for your interest in providing a loving home for a waiting child! We look forward to connecting with you soon to continue discussing adoption paths at Spence-Chapin. We hope that you like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter, and keep up with our families through our adoption blog!
Warm regards,
The Adoption Team at Spence-Chapin
Phone: 212-400-8150
Email: [email protected]
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