All Adopted Children Can Receive New Social Security Numbers

As a result of a new policy, certain groups who were previously denied new social security numbers will now be able to obtain one. If you adopted a child after September 1, 2015 and were denied a social security number, you can now request one from the Social Security office.
In the past, if a child was adopted by a stepparent or grandparents, or if he or she understood and knew about the adoption, then he or she was not eligible for a new social security number. This could sometimes create a miscommunication or unnecessary exchange of information between adoptive parents and birth parents, as states will sometimes identify parents using social security numbers.
“Using the old number can lead to confidentiality issues too,” explains adoption attorney Heather Strickland. “In one case I had [a] Grandmother who adopted the child, fell on hard times, and sought state cash assistance.  The state had the child’s social security number in their system so they knew the name of her birth father.  Even though the child was adopted, and had a new name, the state automatically notified the birth father that an application was made on behalf of the child.”
If you would like to request a new social security number for your child, contact your local Social Security Administration office.
References:

• “Social Security Numbers Available for All Adopted Children“ – Myers Strickland, PLLC