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HomeFamily CodeDiv. 13Pt. 2Ch. 2§ 8703 Birth Parent Address Notice

§ 8703 Birth Parent Address Notice

Family Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 8703 Birth Parent Address Notice

Key Takeaways

  • •If a parent loses their rights to their child, the agency in charge must send them a letter.
  • •The letter asks the parent to keep their address updated so the child can get medical or family history later.
  • •When the child turns 21, they can ask for the birth parent’s name and address.
  • •The parent can choose if they want their info shared by checking ‘YES,’ ‘NO,’ or ‘UNCERTAIN.’

Example

A mom loses her parental rights, and her child is adopted. Years later, the child turns 21 and wants to find their birth mom.

The agency will check if the mom said ‘YES’ to sharing her info. If she did, they’ll give her name and address to the child. If she said ‘NO,’ they won’t share it.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8703 Birth Parent Address Notice

When the parental rights of a birth parent are terminated pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 7660) of Part 3 of Division 12 or Part 4 (commencing with Section 7800) of Division 12, or pursuant to Section 366.25 or 366.26 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the department, county adoption agency, or licensed adoption agency responsible for the adoptive placement of the child shall send a written notice to the birth parent, if the birth parent’s address is known, that contains the following statement: (a) “You are encouraged to keep the department or this agency informed of your current address in order to permit a response to any inquiry concerning medical or social history made by or on behalf of the child who was the subject of the court action terminating parental rights. (b) Section 9203 of the Family Code authorizes a person who has been adopted and who attains the age of 21 years to make a request to the State Department of Social Services, county adoption agency, or licensed adoption agency, that joined in the adoption petition, for the name and address of the adoptee’s birth parents. Indicate by checking one of the boxes below whether or not you wish your name and address to be disclosed: () YES () NO () UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME; WILL NOTIFY AGENCY AT LATER DATE” (Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 35, Sec. 17. (SB 1013) Effective June 27, 2012.)

Last verified: January 21, 2026

Key Terms

parental rightsterminatedwritten noticebirth parent

Related Statutes

  • § 8819 Birth Parent Address Notice
  • § 8700 Parental Adoption Relinquishment
  • § 8701 Birth Parent Adoption Updates
  • § 1600 Premarital Agreement Act
  • § 1601 Premarital Agreement Effective Date

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Family Code. Section 8703.
View Official Source