Advice for Finding Adoption Birth Records

Tips to Find a Birth Record When You're Adopted

Sep 8, 2009 Kristi Carter

Learn proven techniques to find adoption birth records.

Individuals who are adopted can run into many walls when they’re searching for their birth records. Because may places seal their records, it can be like searching for something that doesn’t even exist. However, there are certain ways that adopted individuals can find those records. By understanding alternative ways to find birth records, individuals can find the important information they’re seeking.

Approaching Adoptive Parents

One way individuals can find a lot of information is from their adoptive parents. Even though the adoptive parents may have little information, even the tiniest details can be helpful clues in finding birth records. Sometimes, adopted kids are too embarrassed or feel too guilty to approach their adoptive parents for information. In cases like this, other family members may be able to help answer important questions. Adopted grandparents, aunts and uncles, or even older cousins may be helpful in finding birth records.

Obtaining Non-Identifying Information

There are certain birth records that the adopted child is able to receive, called non-identifying information. This information is typically available from the state or the agency that handled the adoption. Finding out which agency this is can be as easy as asking the adoptive parents. Non-identifying information might include things like the ages of the birth parents at the time of birth, hair color, eye color, professions and more. To learn more about non-identifying information, visit Adoption.org

Adoption Angels

Adoption angels are individuals who donate their time and often their money to helping adopted individuals find their birth families. They may not be professional investigators, but they are often individuals with skills for searching for information on the internet. They may also be able to use their wealth to find information that the adopted individual cannot find. Finding an adoption angel to help with the search is a great way for individuals to find their birth records. To learn more, visit Adoption Angels.

Department of Vital Statistics

Contacting the Department of Vital Statistics is one way of finding birth records such as birth certificates that include important information about the birth parents. Depending upon which state the individual lives in, the records may be completely open. If the state is not an ‘open information’ state, individuals may only be able to get limited information, but this limited information can still be helpful in the search.

Using the information above can help individuals find their birth records and other information that they need for medical or curiosity reasons.

The copyright of the article Advice for Finding Adoption Birth Records in Law, Crime & Justice is owned by Kristi Carter. Permission to republish Advice for Finding Adoption Birth Records in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Adoption Birth Records