FactSheet 

For FamilieS 

June 2004 

Disponible en español 

www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/ 

buscando/index.cfm 

Searching for 

Birth Relatives 

While interest among adopted persons in finding 

their birth families has always been high, the percentage of adult adopted persons who take action to 

initiate a search appears to be on the rise. This trend 

is accompanied by a growing interest on the part 

of many birth parents in searching for their (now) 

adult children who were placed for adoption many 

years earlier. The expanding number of organizations that advocate searching for birth relatives and 

What’s inside: 

• The decision to search 

• Steps in the search process 

• Hiring a professional searcher 

• International searching 

• Reunion issues 

• Additional resources 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Administration for Children and Families 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

Children’s Bureau 

Child Welfare Information Gateway 

Children’s Bureau/ACYF 

1250 Maryland Avenue, SW 

Eighth Floor 

Washington, DC 20024 

703.385.7565 or 800.394.3366 

Email: info@childwelfare.gov 

www.childwelfare.gov 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

provide advice and resources for doing so 

indicate both increased interest in and acceptance of this process. New legislation in some 

States permits more access to birth information, and new technology has the potential 

to make the searching process faster. A recent 

study shows that adopted persons are more 

likely to seek out information about their 

birth families now than in the past (Harris 

Interactive Market Research, 00). And a 

study that reviewed estimates abroad and in 

the United States suggests that 50 percent of 

all adopted persons search at some point in 

their lives (Muller & Perry, 001a). 

The purpose of this factsheet is to provide 

some guidance on the search process and 

information access, as well as resources 

for further help in conducting a successful 

search. This factsheet is designed to address 

the concerns of both adopted persons who 

are searching for birth parents or other 

birth relatives, as well as birth parents 

(both mothers and fathers) who want to 

locate a child who was adopted. While not 

a complete “how to” guide, this factsheet 

provides general information on searching 

and reunion. 

In addition, a list of resources is included 

at the end. The list includes websites on 

searching, books and articles, and more. 

The Child Welfare Information Gateway 

(Information Gateway) website (www. 

childwelfare.gov) is a good starting point for 

resource information. 

the Decision to Search

Adults who were adopted as infants or 

young children are the most common group 

of people searching for adoption information and birth relatives. This group most 

often searches for birth mothers first (Muller 

& Perry, 001b), but may later seek out birth 

fathers, siblings, or other birth relatives. An 

event in the life of an adopted person, for 

instance, the birth of a child or death of 

an adoptive parent, may trigger the actual 

search (American Adoption Congress, 00). 

Other groups that search include birth 

parents searching for children placed 

for adoption years earlier and a growing 

number of adoptive parents who search in 

order to know more about their adoptive 

children’s background or medical history 

(Freundlich, 001). In addition, some 

national organizations that work with children in foster care report increased interest 

by siblings in finding their siblings who 

were placed with other families. 

The question of why an adopted person 

or birth parent searches for birth relatives 

has as many answers as there are searchers. 

Some of the more common reasons include 

the following: 

• General family information. Searchers 

may want to know the names of their 

birth relatives, where they live, and what 

they are like. Birth parents may want to 

know whether their birth children have 

been happy and well treated. 

• Family traits and personalities. Many 

adopted persons and birth parents 

want to know how their birth relatives 

look and act and whether they share 

similar traits. 

•Medical history information. 

Information on genetic diseases and 

conditions can be crucial for safeguarding 

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Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

an adopted person’s own health and the 

health of their biological children. (The 

desire or need for family medical history 

is sometimes the only reason that will 

compel a judge to open sealed adoption 

records.) 

• Circumstances of the adoption. Often, 

adopted persons feel a need to know why 

they were placed for adoption or why the 

rights of the birth parent were terminated 

and how that decision was made. Birth 

parents may want the opportunity to 

explain the circumstances to their child. 

Steps in the 

Search Process

Every search is unique in its unfolding, but 

there are a number of steps and resources 

common to most searches. This section 

of the factsheet addresses the steps in the 

search process, including: 

1. Emotional preparation 

. Assembling known information 

. Researching relevant State laws 

. Registering with reunion registries 

5. Obtaining missing documents 

. Filing court petitions 

1. Emotional preparation. Both adopted 

persons and birth parents should expect 

to prepare emotionally for the search 

process. Such preparation may include 

reading about other adopted persons’ or 

birth parents’ search and reunion experiences and talking to others who are 

going through or have gone through the 

same process. Support groups for adopted 

persons or for birth parents who are 

searching can be extremely helpful, not 

only in providing emotional support, but 

also in sharing practical information. (For 

a State-by-State listing of support groups, 

see the Information Gateway’s National 

Foster Care & Adoption Directory at 

www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad.) 

Gathering emotional support from family 

and friends also can be helpful. Adopted 

persons may be reluctant to share their 

decision to search with their adoptive 

parents for fear of hurting their feelings. 

However, in many cases adoptive parents 

can be an enormous source of support, as 

well as a source of information. Adoptive 

parents may take some comfort from 

knowing that an adopted person’s decision to search usually has nothing to 

do with dissatisfaction with the adoptive parents (Brodzinsky, Schechter, & 

Henig, 199). 

The search process may trigger a number 

of different emotions at different stages 

for the searcher. At certain stages, some 

searchers may feel that they need more 

emotional or moral support than they 

are receiving from family, friends, and 

support groups. In these situations, they 

may want to talk to a professional counselor. Searchers who seek professional 

counseling will want to ensure that 

the counselor is familiar with adoption 

issues. (See the Information Gateway’s 

factsheet on selecting adoption therapists 

at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/r_tips. 

cfm.) In addition, some State laws require 

a meeting with a counselor before a 

reunion takes place. 

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Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

2. Assembling known information. Once 

a decision has been made to search, the 

first step involves gathering all known 

and easily obtainable information. For 

adopted persons, this may mean talking 

to adoptive parents to find out the name 

of the adoption agency, attorney, or facilitator involved in the adoption. It also 

means pulling together all readily available documents, such as the amended 

birth certificate, hospital records, and 

any other information, no matter how 

unimportant it may seem at the time. 

Birth, death, marriage, divorce, school, 

church, genealogy, health, military, DMV, 

and property records related to the birth 

kin all have potential usefulness for 

leading to a name and location of a birth 

parent or birth child. It may be helpful to 

organize and record all information in a 

central place for easy reference. 

3. Researching relevant State laws. 

Searchers may want to become informed 

about State laws regarding adoption and 

records access in the State(s) in which 

they were born and adopted, keeping in 

mind that some State laws vary according to the applicable years. Access to 

information about State laws as well as 

which States offer reunion registries can 

be found at the Information Gateway 

website (www.childwelfare.gov). (Other 

websites that maintain databases or 

updates on State laws are included in the 

Resource List at the end of this factsheet.) 

4. Registering with reunion registries. A 

number of States, as well as private organizations, offer reunion registries that 

allow adopted persons and birth parents 

to register the fact that they are searching for each other. Most of these reunion 

registries are “passive,” meaning that 

both parties (e.g., the adopted person and 

the birth mother) must independently 

register in order for a match to be made. 

When both parties register at the same 

passive registry and a match is made, 

registry officials share the mutual information and help to arrange for contact. 

Passive registries do not actively search 

for the other party. 

The largest passive registry is the 

International Soundex Reunion Registry 

(www.isrr.net). This is open to all adopted 

adults over 18 years of age, all birth 

parents, and all adoptive parents of 

adopted children under 18 years of age. 

There are also a number of “active” registries that charge fees to actually go out 

and search for the birth relative. Some of 

these are State registries that will initiate a 

search for a fee. Others are maintained by 

private search and support groups. 

There are few reliable statistics on the 

success rate of these registries; however, as 

expected, passive registries tend to show a 

much lower match rate than active registries. One study of passive State registries found an average success rate of less 

than 5 percent in 1998, with only two 

States showing double-digit success rates 

(Mitchell, Nast, Busharis, & Hasegawa, 

1999). 

5. Obtaining missing documents. At this 

point, the searcher may want to attempt 

to acquire some of the missing documents that could help with the search. 

There are many types of documents that 

may lead to locating a birth parent or 

child or provide a breakthrough to this 

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Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

information. The following is a list of 

potentially helpful documents: 

• Adoption agency records—If the 

name of the adoption agency is 

known, the searcher can request 

nonidentifying information or even 

records. For instance, in her 1998 

book, Search: A Handbook for Adoptees 

and Birthparents, Jayne Askin provides 

an extensive list of possible questions 

to be addressed to the agency, including questions about siblings, medical 

information, and consent to release 

information. Askin also recommends 

that the searcher supply a waiver of 

confidentiality to the agency, so that 

information about the searcher can 

be provided to the birth child or birth 

parent, if that individual also contacts 

the agency. 

• Hospital records—Hospital records, 

when they can be obtained, may 

provide information on the birth 

mother, birth father, attending physician, and incidental health information. Adopted persons generally need 

to know their birth name, as well as 

the hospital’s name and location. If the 

searcher has difficulty obtaining these 

records, a request made by a doctor 

may have a better chance for success. 

•Birth records—Most adopted persons 

will not have their original birth 

certificate but will have, instead, an 

amended document listing their adoptive parents’ names. However, there are 

a few States that allow adopted adults 

to have access to their original birth 

certificate. (See Information Gateway 

information on access to adoption 

records at www.childwelfare.gov/ 

adopted/obtain/index.cfm.) In other 

States, the original birth certificate may 

be available if the adopted person petitions the court. 

• Court adoption file—The court adoption records consist of a number of 

documents, including the original, 

unaltered birth certificate; petition 

to adopt; finalization papers or final 

decree; consent to adopt from birth 

parent(s), relinquishment papers, or 

orders terminating parental rights; and 

any agency or attorney papers, including information about birth parents. 

Many of these documents may also 

be available elsewhere. For instance, 

adoptive parents should have copies 

of the court proceedings finalizing 

the adoption, although the final court 

order will not provide the names of 

the birth parents. If this is not available, an adopted person searching for 

birth parents may be able to contact 

the attorney or law firm that handled 

the adoption to obtain it. A request 

may also be made to the court. Often, 

identifying information will be blacked 

out of the court-supplied document; 

however, there may be some remaining 

clues that are helpful. The final adoption papers should provide the name 

of the attorney, judge, and agency 

involved in the proceedings. This 

information may lead to discovering 

other useful clues. 

• Other court records—While most or 

all of the court records may be officially sealed, in some cases a searcher 

may be able to view the court’s Docket 

Appearance Book, a daily record of 

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Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

who appeared in court and why on 

a particular day, or even the Minute 

Book log, with the results of each court 

appearance (Culligan, 199). Also, local 

newspapers from the time of the adoption may carry a notice of the filing of 

the Petition to Adopt in the classified 

section. This normally includes the 

name of the couple adopting, as well as 

the birth name of the child/infant and 

the name of the social worker assigned 

to the case (Culligan, 199). 

• Other types of records—Other poten-

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tially useful records may include phy

sician records, newspapers (for birth 

announcements), cemetery and mor

tuary records, probate records, Social 

Security information, records of mili

tary service, school records (including 

yearbooks), marriage licenses, divorce 

or annulment papers, DMV docu

ments, and death certificates. 

6. Filing a court petition. If none of the 

above have been successful, adopted 

persons may petition the court to have the 

sealed adoption records opened. Whether 

this is successful may depend on the State, 

the particular judge, the reason given for 

the request, and any number of other 

factors. Petitioning the court does not 

require an attorney’s services, but a peti

tioner may choose to hire an attorney. 

The judge may deny the petition completely or agree to release only nonidentifying information or a summary. In some 

States, the judge may appoint an intermediary, such as the original adoption agency 

or a professional searcher, to locate the 

birth parents and determine whether or 

not they want to release information or be 

reunited with the adopted person. In other 

cases, the petitioner may be able to request 

the appointment of a confidential intermediary, who will conduct a search (for a 

fee) and determine if the birth parents are 

willing to be contacted. 

Following these steps may lead the searcher 

to enough identifying information that 

birth relatives can be located. In cases 

in which the search seems to be leading 

nowhere, the searcher may want to review 

information or begin to research such 

things as alternative spellings of names or 

places. In some cases, information may 

have been falsified, making it difficult or 

impossible to continue the search without 

new information. 

hiring a Professional 

Searcher

Adopted persons or birth parents searching 

for birth relatives have the option of hiring 

a professional searcher. In some cases, it 

may be useful to hire a professional searcher 

if specific information needs to be located 

in another State. For instance, a professional 

searcher may be able to search courthouse 

or church records in a faraway locality. This 

limited professional help may be enough to 

allow the adopted person or birth parent to 

continue his or her own search. 

Individuals who choose to hire a professional searcher should research the reputation of the searcher or company. There are 

some searchers who have a certification 

from Independent Search Consultants 

(www.iscsearch.com), a nonprofit organizaThis material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit  Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_search.cfm. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

tion that trains in adoption searching. Other 

searchers may be licensed as private investigators by a particular locality. Individuals 

should ask whether private investigators 

have specific adoption search experience 

before making a decision to hire them. 

Other professional searchers may be experts 

in a particular locality or a particular field 

but may not have a certification. Before 

hiring anyone, it is crucial to call references and to check with the Better Business 

Bureau. In addition, support groups can be 

a ready source of information about professional searchers. 

In some cases, a court or agency may refuse 

to open sealed records or provide full information in response to a petition or request; 

however, the court or agency may appoint 

a professional searcher. In such cases, this 

professional searcher serves as an intermediary whose job is to locate and contact 

the birth parents (or birth child) and to 

find out whether they want to have their 

name and address revealed and whether 

they want to resume contact. The professional is given access to sealed records, but 

the petitioner (who generally receives no 

access to records) pays the fee of the professional searcher. If nothing is found, or if the 

found person refuses to release information 

or agree to contact, there is generally no 

recourse (except that the adopted person or 

birth parent can continue to search on his 

or her own). 

international Searching

People who were adopted from outside the 

United States (through intercountry adoptions) face unique challenges in locating 

birth parents. Each country has its own laws 

governing information access. In addition, 

there is great variation in record-keeping 

practices across countries and cultures, and 

in many cases, searchers will find that no 

information was ever recorded, that records 

were misplaced, or that cultural practices 

placed little emphasis on accurate recordkeeping. However, in a very few cases, it 

may actually be easier to gain access to an 

original birth certificate in a foreign country 

than in the United States, since some countries do not seal their vital records. 

The child-placing agency is the best beginning point for an international search. The 

U.S. agency should be able to share the name 

and location of the agency or orphanage 

abroad and, perhaps, the names of caregivers, 

attorneys, or others involved in the placement or adoption. The agency, or its counterpart abroad, may be able to provide specific 

information on names, dates, and places. 

They also may be able to offer some medical 

history, biographical information on parents, 

and circumstances regarding the adoption. 

Some other resources for international 

searchers include the following: 

•Adopted persons seeking documents 

(such as a birth certificate) that the U.S. or 

foreign child-placing agency is not able to 

provide may want to apply to government 

agencies in the birth country. Mailing 

addresses of offices of vital records in 

foreign countries can be found on the U.S. 

State Department website at www.travel. 

state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm. 

• Searchers adopted from another country 

can contact the U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services (http://uscis.gov/ 

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Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

graphics/index.htm) to receive copies of 

their immigration records. 

•An international agency that may offer 

help is International Social Services, which 

provides a broad range of social work ser-

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vices, including helping adopted persons 

find birth families abroad. Their U.S. 

branch has a website at www.iss-usa.org. 

• Support groups for adopted persons 

from particular countries may be able to 

offer help and information on search

ing. Countries that have placed a large 

number of children with families in 

the United States, such as Korea, have 

support groups and organizations with 

websites and search information. (See the 

Resource List at the end of this factsheet.) 

In general, searching overseas is more difficult than searching in the United States. In 

cases in which the search for the birth parent 

is unsuccessful, some adopted persons may 

derive some satisfaction from visiting their 

birth country and experiencing their birth 

culture. Many agencies and support groups 

have begun to organize homeland tours 

for adopted persons and adoptive families. 

These tours generally provide an introduction to the country and culture. Visiting the 

birth country for the first time as part of such 

a group may provide searchers with some 

emotional security, because the people in the 

tour group are often looking for answers to 

similar questions. (The National Foster Care 

& Adoption Directory lists groups that offer 

homeland tours: www.childwelfare.gov/ 

nfcad.) 

reunion issues

Reunions between long-lost birth family 

members have been the subject of books, 

articles, and television shows. Two important themes emerge from these accounts: 

1. Participants should be emotionally 

prepared for the reunion experience. 

Adopted persons and birth parents may 

carry a picture in their mind of the 

perfect family, but the reunion experience may not live up to that ideal. In 

preparing for contact and reunion, 

adopted persons (and birth parents) 

should prepare for a whole range of realities, including rejection. Although most 

birth parents are agreeable to further 

contact, research indicates that a minority, perhaps 9 to 15 percent, reject any 

contact (Muller & Perry, 001b). 

2. Pacing the contact can be key to 

having a successful reunion and rela

tionship. In a small study of adopted 

women who experienced reunions with 

birth kin (Affleck & Steed 001), it was 

found that successful reunion experiences 

were associated with (1) preparation 

with a support group and () a slower 

pace between initial contact and actual 

meeting, involving letters and phone 

calls. This interval between contact 

and meeting allowed information to be 

exchanged and gave the “found” relatives 

some time to become accustomed to the 

idea. Such an interval can also give the 

found relatives time to share the news 

with spouses and children in their family, 

if they desire. 

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Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_search.cfm. 8 
Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

Some factors that may increase the possibility of a successful longer term relationship 

include (Muller and Perry, 001b): 

• The establishment of limits regarding 

each others’ lives 

• Support from adoptive parents 

• Minimal expectations 

• Similar lifestyles and temperaments 

• Acceptance by other family members 

In many cases, a successful reunion with a 

birth mother may prompt the adopted adult 

to continue the search process for the birth 

father. Meeting with birth siblings also may 

occur, and each reunion experience requires 

preparation and time to evolve. 

conclusion 

Each search for a birth relative is guided by a 

unique set of circumstances. The outcome is 

uncertain and, even when the birth relative 

is located, the reunion experience does not

always turn out as expected. Nonetheless, 

many adopted persons and birth parents

have conducted successful searches and 

built successful relationships with their 

new-found relatives. For those who are just

beginning the search, the best preparation may be finding out about the search 

experiences of others. To that end, a list of 

resources has been included below. In addition, support groups for adopted persons

and birth parents across the country can be 

found in the online National Foster Care 

& Adoption Directory on the Information 

Gateway website at www.childwelfare.gov/ 

nfcad. 

references cited

Affleck, M. K., & Steed, L. G. (001). Expectations and experiences of participants in ongoing 

adoption reunion relationships: A qualitative study. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 

71(1), 8-8. 

American Adoption Congress. (00). Frequently asked questions. Updated link retrieved April 

, 00, from www.americanadoptioncongress.org/search.htm 

Askin, J. (1998). Search: A handbook for adoptees and birthparents, rd edition. Phoenix, AZ: 

Oryx Press. 

Brodzinsky, D. M., Schechter, M. D., & Henig, R. M. (199). Being adopted: The lifelong search for 

self. NCY: Doubleday. 

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit 

Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_search.cfm. 9 
Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

Culligan, J. J. (199). Adoption searches made easier. Miami, FL: FJA, Inc. 

Freundlich, Madelyn. (001). Access to information and search and reunion in Korean American 

adoptions: A discussion paper. El Dorado Hills, CA: Korean American Adoptee Adoptive 

Family Network. Retrieved April 5, 00, from the Korean American Adoptee Adoptive 

Family Network at www.kaanet.com/whitepaper.pdf 

Harris Interactive Market Research. (00). National Adoption Attitudes Survey. Dave Thomas 

Foundation for Adoption & The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. Retrieved March 1, 

00, from www.adoptioninstitute.org/survey/Adoption_Attitudes_Survey.pdf 

Mitchell, M., Nast, J., Busharis, B., & Hasegawa, P. (1999). Mutual consent voluntary registries: 

An exercise in patience and failure. Adoptive Families 32(1), 0-, . 

Muller, U., & Perry, B. (001a). Adopted persons’ search for and contact with their birth 

parents I: Who searches and why? Adoption Quarterly 4(), 5-. 

Muller, U., & Perry, B. (001b). Adopted persons’ search for and contact with their birth 

parents II: Adoptee-birth parent contact. Adoption Quarterly 4(), 9-. 

additional resources

Books and articles 

Bailey, J. J., & Giddens, L. N. (001). The adoption reunion survival guide: Preparing yourself for the 

search, reunion, and beyond. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 

Byrne, M. (000-001). Search and reunion etiquette: The guide Miss Manners never wrote. 

American Adoption Congress (Winter/Spring), 11-1. Retrieved April 1, 00, from 

www.americanadoptioncongress.org/articles-archives/search-etiquette.htm 

Cox, S. S.-K. (001). Considerations for international search. Retrieved April 1, 00, from 

www.holtintl.org/reunionsearcharticle.html 

Lifton, B. J. (1988). Lost and found: The adoption experience. NY: Harper & Row. 

McColm, M. (199). Adoption reunions: A book for adoptees, birth parents and adoptive families. 

Toronto: Second Story Press. 

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit 10 Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_search.cfm. 
Searching for Birth Relatives www.childwelfare.gov 

Strauss, J. A. (199). Birthright: The guide to search and reunion for adoptees, birthparents, and 

adoptive parents. NYC: Penguin Books. 

Websites 

Resources for beginning the search: 

• The ALMA Society (Adoptees’ Liberty Movement Association) at www.almasociety.org 

•American Adoption Congress’s Beginner’s Search Checklist www.americanadoptioncongress. 

org/search.htm 

• International Soundex Reunion Registry at www.isrr.net 

• Family Search Internet Genealogy Service (sponsored by the Church of the Latter Day 

Saints) at www.familysearch.org 

Resources for international searches: 

• International Social Services at www.iss-usa.org 

•Korean Adoptee Adoptive Family Network at www.kaanet.com 

• U.S. State Department at www.travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm 

Resources on State adoption laws: 

•American Adoption Congress at www.americanadoptioncongress.org/legislation.htm 

• Bastard Nation at www.bastards.org/activism/access.htm 

• Child Welfare Information Gateway at www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/ 

state/adoption.cfm 

• The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute at www.adoptioninstitute.org/policy/ 

polreg.html 

• National Adoption Congress at www.americanadoptioncongress.org/legislative-updates.htm 

• National Center for Adoption Law and Policy at www.adoptionlawsite.org 

• The White Oak Foundation at www.whiteoakfoundation.org/mappage.htm 

The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory on the Child Welfare Information Gateway 

website at www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad contains information on State adoption officials, State 

reunion registries, adoption agencies, and support groups. 

Other information on the Information Gateway website includes resource lists (www. 

childwelfare.gov/organizations/index.cfm) on such topics as organizations that provide adoption research and factsheets (www.childwelfare.gov/search/pubs_search.cfm) on such topics as 

intercountry adoption. 

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