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

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

Though out my years involved in the adoption community and as the internet has become a tool for searching it can be one of the most powerful tools available to you in your adoption search. It is a powerful tool because of the people who use it. This is particularly true when it comes to triad members searching.

There are many popular online mailing lists where you can find support and encouragement as you embark on your adoption search.

For myself I belong to several mailing lists to keep current on changes in regards to adoption law, access... more

Surfing the internet/world wide web can be an excellent tool in the adoption search but should not replace human contact or one on one face to face interaction. While surfing the web you can travel any where but takes some navigation.

To go anywhere on the world wide web you need a URL which stands for Uniform Resource Locator. The URL is an address that points to each site. When typing in the URL you always want to include “www” Spelling or typing errors in the URL are the most common error in not being able to view the web page... more

It is a fact that humans are naturally curious about their origins. Sometimes it is not a case of curiosity but rather the need to know their origins for medical reasons. DNA and genetic testing may be an avenue you may want to travel to help solve the adoption obstacles. Genetic testing may help solve the mysteries of the past.

For years I had searched for my birth father. My first personal experience with DNA was two or three years after finding my natural family. My sister’s father, had admitted that there was a possibility that he could be my natural father. He was... more

The Social Security Death Index is a several million name database that comes from the Death Masters List of the Social Security Administration System. For a person to be listed on the Social Security Death Index the individual would had to have received benefits while alive. The second part of the criteria is that if the deceased did not file for benefits, his or her survivors had to have requested and received benefits. Third, the Social Security Administration had to have filed this information electronically so that it could be available for input into the appropriate... more