Our NSW Special Search Service provides search and reunion support to people separated by government intervention in NSW (i.e. through adoption, being under the care of the Minister, foster care, or being placed in a children’s home in NSW).

Our goal is to locate and reunite family members and facilitate contact (when appropriate) in a supportive, respectful and empathetic manner.

Our service is free as we are funded by the NSW Government’s Department of Communities and Justice.

NSW Special Search Service provides:

• Information and support
• Search and contact to direct family member/s
• Confidential contact support
• Help reuniting with family member/s
• Emotional support and short-term counselling
• Referrals to other services and support networks where appropriate

Steps to get your search started:

1)    If you were adopted in NSW, obtain your Adoption Information Certificate and Social and Medical Information records from the Adoption Information Unit at the Department of Communities and Justice. To do this fill out this form and send it to AIU.

• Phone AIU on 1300 799 023 / +61 2 9716 3005
• Email adoption.information@facs.nsw.gov.au

2)    If you are a ‘care leaver’ in NSW, obtain your file about your time in NSW state care by completing this form and sending it to the Care Leavers Records Access Unit at the Department of Communities and Justice.

• You can contact the Care Leavers Records Access Unit on phone + 61 2 9716 2662
• Email: CareLeaverRecordsAccessUnit@facs.nsw.gov.au

3)    Carry out your own searches

There are some searches you can carry out yourself before you contact us.

• You can visit an Australian Electoral Commission to search for your family member/s on the current electoral roll. Click here to find your local AEC office.
• If you have been separated from your family member/s through NSW adoption, you may be able to request searches of NSW birth, marriage, and death records for your family member/s through the NSWRegistry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Phone NSW BDM on 13 77 88 or visit this link

4)    Contact us for help with your search or with the above steps.

Ph: 1300 657 843 / + 61 2 9267 0300 and press option 1

Email: sss@iss.org.au