How to Begin a Birth Parent Search

Steps to Help Adoptees Find Their Biological Family

Apr 1, 2009

Attending support groups, finding birth records and contacting agencies are important steps for adoptees looking for information about their biological parents.

Every state and province has different laws regarding adoption disclosure and privacy, and many jurisdictions are changing legislation to allow increased openness. As each adoption situation is different, there is not one easy way to search for members of the birth family; however there are some steps that adoptees can follow to help them with a search.

Clarify Reasons for a Birth Parent Search

Many people who were adopted have a need to search for their birth parents at some point in their life, but the reasons for a search depend on the individual. While family genealogy, health information and confirmation of ethnicity are common reasons to find biological mothers and fathers, curiosity is usually the driving force.

Attending an adoption support group or seeking the help of a counselor can help adoptees understand adoption loss, deal with the challenges searching for biological family and also uncover useful resources.

Locate Birth and Adoption Paperwork

The first place adoptees need to look for paperwork is with their own documents to confirm birthdates and places. If the adoptive parents are supportive of a birth parent search, adoptees can ask them for documents, information and even a description of their adoption experience.

Once names and locations are more specific, adoptees can ask for help from the local hospitals, churches and adoption agencies that assist with adoption plans.

Adoptees who are interested in a reunion might find success with people finder directories such as ZabaSearch, PrivateEye and Canada411 in finding current contact information on public records. Volunteers known as Search Angels can also help adoptees find relevant information from public documents housed in courthouses and libraries.

Making Contact with Birth Family

Once adoptees know who they are searching for, there are provincial, state and national adoption registers that can help searching birth families and adoptees find each other. Adoptees can ask to be put on lists for matching or reunion services, or request non-identifying information of their biological parents. Non-identifying information could include:

Many adoption registers also allow extended birth family such as siblings and grandparents to register in hopes of connecting with an adoptee.

Searching for birth mothers and biological fathers is a process that is emotionally consuming, but can be rewarding for everyone involved. By doing some detective work to locate documents and asking for help from adoption resources, adoptees can find information about their origins and birth family history.

The copyright of the article How to Begin a Birth Parent Search in Adoption is owned by Angela Krueger. Permission to republish How to Begin a Birth Parent Search in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.