How to Do an Adoption Search
Children who have been adopted, birth parents who have placed their children for adoption or siblings and other relatives of an adopted person often want information such as the identity of the birth parents or the status and location of a family member placed for adoption. While there are many ways to begin an adoption search and many avenues to pursue, not all adoption searches end in finding information on a birth relative or establishing contact with a family member. State laws often limit the release of information in domestic adoptions, and information is not always available in the case of international adoptions.
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Instructions
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Determine the location of the adoption and gather all related paperwork. Obtain as much information as you can and try to determine the exact court where the adoption took place and the date of the procedure. Collect all adoption-related paperwork that is available from court records, a birth certificate and any other documentation about the adopted person or birth relative.
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Contact the adoption agency for information and assistance. If the adoption took place through an adoption agency, talk to an agency worker about your adoption case. Some agencies release records to searchers, while others release information if both parties have agreed to the release. Agencies working with international adoptions may be able to provide adopted persons with contacts in their birth countries.
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Research state laws and requirements. Each state has its own laws for releasing adoption records. Most states require that adopted persons and birth siblings be over the age of 18 before any information is released. Some states allow the release of information if both parties have a signed release on file, while others release non-identifying information upon request. Some states do not release any information without a court order. Request any documents available to you under state law where the adoption took place.
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Join an adoption registry. Some states and private companies offer passive registries where both searching parties must register before a match is made and information is released. Other states and companies offer active registries, allowing registrants to pay a fee and have a search completed for their relative. Choose the type of registry that is offered and meets your searching needs.
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Obtain any other adoption records. If your adoption records are sealed, file a petition with the court to have access to the records. The Child Welfare Information Gateway suggests that internationally adopted persons request immigration records from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and write to their birth country's office of vital records to try to obtain birth records. The U.S. Department of State provides information on its website about requesting international birth certificates.
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Hire a professional. If all other search options prove unsuccessful, a professional searcher may be hired to gather adoption information. Searchers are commonly used to obtain information in a distant location. Searchers are not required to have a professional license, though some are certified in adoption searches and others are licensed private detectives. Before hiring a professional, ensure that they have experience with adoption searches.
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References
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