Black Market (illegal) Adoptions are the hardest to trace because there's no paper trail. Resources include information about known black market adoption operations, books on Black Market Adoption, articles on Black Market Adoption and valuable web sites worth looking at on the subject.

There are several types of adoptions and I would like to define each. Agency adoption -a state licensed adoption agency acts as an intermediary between the child's natural mother and the adoptive parents.. The agency is responsible for the careful screening of all prospective... more

Someone recently brought it to my attention that if you call the FBI office in the state you were born, they will end you a “Freedom of Information Act” form to fill out to see if they can place you with being a black market baby. The person who shared this with me is going to try it. We don’t know if it is a fact or not but I thought it was worth putting out there for anyone who is searching and believes they may have been adopted through the black market. If anyone has attempted this or does attempt this I would love to hear from you and read your comments in regards to your results.

No... more

While I was researching a different aspect of search and reunion recently, I came across some information about international searching. Holt International, an agency that has been around for over 50 years, has large section regarding search and reunion. Holt Post-Adoption Services Not only do they initiate searches, but, they provide information about many factors involved in international searches. Several well-written articles pertain to international searching. Various... more

In the early 1990’s there was a lot of publicity about Georgia Tann. In fact, there was a TV movie staring Mary Tyler Moore.

Georgia Tann organized the Tennessee Children’s Home society in Memphis to remove children from the slums and put them in the hands of the rich, who would educate them. She took children out of hospitals, homes, parks, anywhere she could find a poorly dressed or dirty child. Her system started doing what it was intended to do but the huge profits blinded her and turned the system into baby trafficking with little regard to what kind of person the purchaser... more

I think that there is a time during search that everyone feels like their search is difficult. What I am going to write about is meant more for those who have been searching for a period of years or even decades. The information contained here is in RARE cases and is more than likely NOT the case if you have been searching for someone for a few months. Some of what I write may be applicable in one state and not in another. The state specific search and support groups will be able to guide you in regards to your specific state.

It is rare that an adoption... more

Ultimately, the choice to search, and the avenue you choose to search, is an individual decision. The choice is yours and it belongs to you. When you are in the decision making phase, I think it is very important to consider motivations, objectives, time frames, resources, and boundaries prior to beginning a physical search process whether it be domestically or internationally. Think about how search may change your present relationships. Try not to base your decision on the thoughts and feelings of others but rather know with clarity that the desire to search or not is truly... more

I would like to try and compare international adoption search with domestic adoption search and write about a few of the issues involved in each.

An international adoption search requires working with a different county, language, laws, and culture. The geographical distance and language can be difficult and a challenge to say the least. I think that the greatest challenges though would be understanding the culture and nuances.

I have had two Korean adoptees recently tell me that they need to search and it was necessarily about biological family... more

In response to yesterday’s post titled Adoption Discussion Ideas, I received an email asking for some resources. Instead of replying to her privately, I thought that a blog would be more appropriate.

I want to start out by saying that I don’t think it is unusual for a teenager to act out whether he or she is adopted or not. A teenagers rebelliousness may be just that. However, if it is more than that I strongly recommend a therapist. If anyone reading is in need of a therapist, please email me and let me know where you are located. I may be able to find a counselor or... more

Adoptees adopted outside the United States or internationally face different challenges in searching for their birth parents. Each country has its own laws governing the information and access to it. In addition the record keeping practices vary across the countries and cultures and you may find that no information has been ever recorded or that records were misplaced or that cultural practices placed no emphasis on accurate record keeping.

However, I have a theory that it may actually be easier to gain access to an original birth certificate in a foreign country than it is in... more