Are you a natural mother searching? Do you feel like you are living in limbo? I can’t imagine searching as a natural mother but I do know what the loss of a child is like. .For those of you who read regularly know we have experienced three pregnancy losses in the past year and a half. I truly believe that until you learn the truth about your son or daughter, whether he or she is alive or dead, know his or her name, and learn some things about him or her, you will continue to live in limbo. Living under the cloud of not knowing is why natural... more

1. Legal notice of adoption – These were often printed in legal journals that can be viewed at a legal library. Some courthouse have a law library that you may be able to access. 2. Relinquishment Papers – These are only available to natural parents. Adoptees will not be able to obtain them from the agency. However, if you are a natural parent, ask for them. It is a document that is yours and should be provided to you. 3. Telephone Books 4. City Directories 5. Marriage Records – These are filed in most states on a county level and filed... more

During your adoption search there are certain documents that will provide you with information pertinent to your search. Some you will be able to easily obtain through the appropriate state agency for a fee. There will be other documents you can check for additional information aid you in your search. Believe it or not one of the hardest part about searching is the waiting game. You can request information. That is the easy part. The hard part comes in when you are playing the waiting game. Each request you make is going to take time and... more

This survey is called "What Adult Adopted People Want the World to Know."

Responses will be compiled and conveyed to the attendees at Center For Family Connections' (CFFC) 3rd annual ACTION international conference on post adoption services February 19-21st at the Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge, MA.

For more information, here are details about the conference.

The Center for Family Connections is run... more

Where but in California could I take a photo like this one at this time of the year? Florida, maybe? Although it snowed in Malibu a few weeks ago, our weather is superb this time of year. Our weather is alternating between barely freezing to 80 degrees!

California has made at least two attempts to open records, maybe more. Both have failed. It is very tough to drum up the money needed to get legislation passed, and many other factors make it difficult as well.

This article towards... more

I am in favor of adoptive parents having full information on their child's birth parents. Most birth mothers I know would have gladly given their names to the adoptive parents in case their child ever wanted or needed the information. In private closed adoptions, birth parents sometimes receive the names of adoptive parents as well. The adoptive dad in this story said:

What if someone in my class checks CCAP and finds out they have a half brother or half sister they didn't even know about? It could be devastating for a family. These... more

An announcement at wwwfamilysearch.org was released on the 18th of this month stating that 250,000 Utah Death Certificates from 1905 to 1954 are now available online at no charge. These are not just extractions or indexes. They are the digital images themselves.

This service will open doors to additional information for family historians and genealogists with Utah ties. To search the index and view the certificates users need to go to http://historyresearch.utah.gov/indexes/index.html.

The... more

Ancestry.com regularly posts items on their website that are “in the clear.” In other words, you don’t have to have a subscription to access them. However, these free databases are often difficult to locate, as they are scattered amongst many other databases that are not free. These databases typically don’t stay free, but change as Ancestry’s promotions change.

Now Clear Digital Media, Inc., best known for their http://www.interment.net/ site, has posted a new site entitled FreeOnAncestry.com. It’s a... more

There are many facts about adoption search that you may not know. Some are disturbing and/or surprising.

Did you know that: Some states used to intentionally change facts on birth certificates to make tracking an adoptee difficult? Facts like the date or state of birth. Even if a petition to the court to access records is successful, some information on the court papers may be blacked out. When using a confidential intermediary, if they contact a party who does not want contact, the file is closed and the... more

A website that I have come across may be helpful in adoption search. It is www.maidenname.net.

This website was conceived as the owner wondered about the women from his past as he recalled long evenings spent in college and realized he never knew how things turned out for them since many of their names change perhaps for some more than one. The site acknowledges under their FAQ section that they have received thank you notes telling of natural families reunited and family histories traced.

For... more