After the adoption hearing, the adoptive parents, now the parents of the child will receive a certified copy of the final decree of adoption. This can be used as a birth certificate until the new birth certificate arrives. In two (2) to six (6) weeks, a new birth certificate will arrive from the state where the child was born showing the adoptive parents as the birth parents and showing the child’s new, legal, name.

With the certified decree of adoption and new birth certificate, you can go to your local social security office, change the child’s name for social security purposes and, if you fear the child’s social security number is known by other people and are afraid of identity theft or the social security number being used to track the child down, you can request a new social security number.