At some point, most adopted children want to locate their birth parents. For many, this means searching adoption records. However, with privacy laws the way they are, many adoptees have no idea where to start. Below are some tips to get you looking in the right direction.

Requesting Nonidentifying Information

Almost every state has procedures for accessing nonidentifying information. In many cases, the information is given to the adoptive parents at the time of adoption. The information is generally accessible to the adopted child once they become an adult.

You will need to contact your state agency that holds the adoption records. You can find out who this is in your state by searching the Child Welfare Information Gateway’s National Foster Care and Adoption Directory.

Requesting Identifying Information

Most states have procedures set up to release indentifying information. However, every state varies on how they release the information. You need to contact the state agency dealing with adoption records to locate the information. However, once you have the information you can quickly contact the other members of the adoption.

Generally, the laws require one of the following:

• Consent on file from all parties involved in the adoption.
• An intermediary to gain consent from all parties

Search for the Original Birth Certificate

Once the adoption is finalized, a new birth certificate is issued and given to the adoptive parents. At this point, the original birth certificate is held by the state agency under privacy laws.

While you used to need a court order to get the original birth certificate, 24 states no longer require this information. In these states, you will need one of the following:

• State adoption registry to get access
• Consent on file from all parties
• The adoptee must be a minimum age (18 or 21)

Search Online for Adoption Records

This is the simplest way to find birth parents. Anyone can go online and search through adoption records from the privacy of their own home. The database allows you to search thousands of records from across the country without a court order or an intermediary.

Once you find the information you are looking for, you can do a people search on the same database to locate a telephone number, address or place of employment for the person. Searching adoption records online is by far the easiest method. Start your adoption records search today and see what you can find.

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An adoption search can be both emotional and trying experience for many people. It is full of questions, concerns, and many times anxiety. The thought of looking for birth parents is often exciting but is also coupled with guilt. No one wants to betray the people that raised them by searching for their “real” parents.

However, the draw to locate the biological parents is still there. This is where online searches are beneficial to those wanting to locate birth parents without causing undue harm to those they love.

Benefits to Online Adoption Search

Guaranteed Privacy
First, searching online has the added benefit of complete privacy. No one needs to know that you are even looking. If it would hurt those around you, then they do not need to know you are looking. You will only need to tell them if and when you find information on your birth parents.

Quick and Easy Access to Thousands of Records
There is no need to drive all over the country looking for birth records and adoption papers. You can sit in the privacy of your own home and look for the records. Online databases will carry records from across the country. The Internet brings it to your home. As long as you have a computer, Internet access, and a credit card or PayPal, then you can access the database from anywhere at any time.

Access to Multiple Records
The best part of searching online is that you can check other records as well. Once you do locate your birth parents, you can do some research on the type of people they are. You can do background checks, employment checks, criminal checks, divorce records, marriage records and more. You might decide it is better to contact a sister or brother first. You might decide you do not want to contact them at all.

Whatever you decide once you have the information is up to you. The best part about Internet adoption searches is you have the option. No one needs to know that you are searching.

If you decide you don’t want to contact your birth parents, then no one was hurt and no one ever has to know you looked. If you do decide to contact them, you know what you are getting into before you pick up the phone. However, you can’t find your birth parents until you start your adoption search. You won’t know until you try.

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