Do you believe that only Americans search for lost birth parents or relinquished children? Adoption search is not only a growing practice in the United States, but world-wide.

A new twist here -this website was created by not a birth parent, but a man who lived with a birth mother for many years. He began this site after reading about a birth mother who was looking for her child and finding no South African search sites. His site offers information for those searching with connections... more

Just as adoption laws differ in the U.S. from state to state, in Canada laws are different from province to province. There have been some changes and/or proposed changes in Canada the past few years in some provinces which allow more access to records. This link lists the provinces and resources specific to each province.

The link above came from the website of Links Post-Legal Adoption Support Group which offers a wealth... more

Korean Focus is a new site that I just discovered that looks promising. An interesting note is that the group includes not solely triad members, but also others interested in all things Korean.

Korean Focus of Metro DC offers information and support to families interested in Korean culture and the Korean American community.....Our members and friends include adoptive families, adopted Korean Americans, and Korean American families.

On this site, I noticed a ... 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... more

Susi is an educated, bilingual Guatemalan hired by adoptive parents who wish to locate their Guatemalan children's birth mothers.... Occasionally she will set up meetings between the two families. But most often she'll travel throughout Guatemala, often deep into the countryside, to knock on the door of a woman who hasn't received news of a child she placed for adoption years before.

This interview caught my eye. It is an interview between... more

You will want to contact the agency that facilitated the adoption and inquire if they assist in searching. The agency is also likely to have names and addresses of overseas contacts. Depending on the response from the agency, the next step would be to make a personal connection with someone in the birth country.

I think we will all agree that adoption is a lifelong process and for many triad members that process includes the desire to search. This is normal as is that response that the remainder of the triad members have which are... more

Every triad members has their own personal and unique adoption story. That story is part of who they are as they move from childhood, through adolescence to adulthood. It is important for an adoptee to come to their own peace with how adoption fits into their lives and find a comfortable balance. For international adoptees, their story began in another country and culture and includes issues of race, ethnicity and heritage.

An international adoption search requires working with a different country, language, laws, and culture. One... more

Countless numbers of children born in Germany between 1945 and 1985 were placed for adoption. Just like the United States, in many cases German born adoptees and the natural parents are interested in contacting each other.

The first step in locating and contacting your German Natural mother or siblings is to request original German birth documentation. You can do this by writing to the “STANDESAMT” for the city in which you were born in Germany. When you write your letter, you want to provide as much information as possible and request a “copy of your birth entry in... 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

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