Chapter 3 - THE AGENCY
The adoption agency still existed.
Northwest Family Pathways.
Different director.
Same records department.
Andrew and Claire had signed a semi-closed adoption agreement.
No direct identifying contact initially.
Birth mother could submit letters annually through the agency.
Adoptive parents could choose whether to receive them until Emily reached a specified age, unless later amended by mutual consent.
That sounded restrictive until the caseworker explained the historical context.
Diane had requested privacy at placement.
Then six months later she asked to begin sending letters.
The agency had no record of receiving any.
“None?” Claire asked.
“None.”
“Did she register for contact?”
The caseworker checked.
“At age twenty-one, she filed an update saying she wished to receive any future correspondence from the adoptive family.”
We had sent annual photos for three years.
Then the agency mailed a notice:
Birth mother address no longer current.
Letters returned.
We assumed Diane had chosen distance.
Apparently she had not.
“What address did you have?”
They could not provide it without authorization.
Fair.
“Did anyone tell Diane we rejected her?”
“No.”
“Could Frank?”
“Not through us.”
So Frank had built the story outside the agency.
May you like
Not an institutional failure.
A family one.
