How to Begin a Search

Mother’s Day was always a time of year I would wonder about my biological mother. When I was younger I knew I was adopted but didn’t know details, like my parents’ names or birthdays, so Hallmark Holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day usually were what would trigger reflection for me. Growing up, when I would think about my mother (biological) I would wonder many things. What did she look like? What did her voice sound like? Did she think about me too? Did she remember my birthday? Did she still love me? Did she regret the choice she made? There was a point in my life that I even went as far as writing a fictional story about… [more]

There are moments in life that can change all that you thought to be true. It happens in the blink of an eye and often, without any warning. It may be a choice you make, a thought you have, a new person coming in to, or leaving your life, possibly a choice someone else makes for you, or even in their own lives. As far as my adoption story is concerned, I've had two of these moments. The first came in the form of a kick. I can still remember the first time I felt my daughter kick in my belly. Out of nowhere, there she was, and out of nowhere, I thought of a woman who I'd never met, a woman… [more]

Adoption.com's Search and Reunion Registry has hit 400,000 individual profiles! Across the United States, profiles of those looking for long-lost family members are consistently created, making the Adoption.com Registry the #1 online adoption reunion registry available today. With the ever-growing number of profiles, finding a family member is and will be a reality for many. Currently, an estimated 53.5% of the Adoption.com Registry users are adoptees searching for a birth parent or a birth sibling.  Adoption.com's next highest statistical grouping is birth mothers, at 23.3% of the online profiles. The rest consist of birth siblings, birth fathers, adoptive family members, and search angels-those who aide in reuniting and reconnecting searchers. Adoption.com reaches out and supports all those searching for family members… [more]

Reuniting with your family members can be a difficult and arduous journey. For some, the search is simple, quick, and easy. For others, it is a process-a long process, at that. Whether hiring a private detective is the first option on your list or the last option, here are some common questions to inquire about before settling on one private detective over another. What resources will be used? Find out what methods he or she regularly employs to get the job done. Are you comfortable with all the methods or resources that may be used? Your private investigator should be able to talk in depth about each resource. Not only should you be comfortable with it, he or she should also be confident… [more]

Search and reunion can be exciting and confusing times. Having some idea of what to expect, and how to handle various situations can be extremely helpful. 1) If you choose to make your first contact by mail, be certain that your letter is vague and non-revealing. You do not know who knows about the adoption, and it is best to let the found party control who they tell and when… [more]

The two part blog series I wrote in February talks about the different types of DNA tests that can be utilized in your adoption search. Before you turn to DNA testing to help uncover your natural ancestry you first should probably learn some basics. Each individual’s physical traits and characteristics are determined from our genes and our chromosomes hold our genetic material and carry genetic information in long strands of DNA called genes. DNA acts as a blue print for creating a human being. Each pair of chromosomes are made up of one chromosome that is inherited from the father and one from the mother. So, in adoption when you wonder why your eyes are a certain color or your hair… [more]

Illinois, Evanston - The Cradle, 2049 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201 In the 1960’s this maternity home was called The Cradle Society. They had an in-house nursery which all the infants were housed until they went with the adoptive parents. They also operated an infant nurse school from 1926 thru 1972 Louisiana, New Orleans - The Methodist Home The Methodist Home hospital was and still is located on Washington St. Since 1972 It is a home for abused and neglected children. The contact information for The Methodist Home is: P.O. Box 15109, Station B, New Orleans, LA 70175 Missouri, Kansas City - Willows Maternity Sanitarium The following was taken from a post in 1992 on the Prodigy bulletin board: Garnet "Peggy" Marie Haworth… [more]

There are many maternity homes through out the United States. Some still exist and some no longer exist. This 2 part blog series is touching base on only a few. If there is a particular maternity home you are interested in, please let me know. Booth Memorial Hospitals There were Booth Memorial Hospitals in most major U.S. cities and they were run by the Salvation Army. The hospitals are closed now and the records have been warehoused. The contact information is as follows: Central Territory Headquarters 10 W. Algonquin Road Des Plaines, IL 60016-6006 Serving the states of: MI, IN, IL, WI, MN, ND, SD, IA, MO, NE, KS Phone: 1-847-294-2090 Eastern Territory Headquarters 440 West Nyack Road West Nyack, NY 10994-1739 Serving the states of: ME… [more]

Recently someone asked me a few questions about being contacted by an intermediary on behalf of someone they were separated from through adoptions a few decades ago. This initial contact left this person with lump in her stomach and she felt as if her world was turned upside down She also had a sense of relief and excitement. She had a variety of feelings surface from elation to sadness, joy to anger, along with a high level o f anxiety and an overwhelming need to have immediate contact. In general it is safe to say that the person who searches is more ready for and more prepared for reunion than the person who is found. The searcher has been actively thinking… [more]

Step 9 assumes that you have a name and are now beginning to actively search for that person. Recently I wrote a blog about Grannie Annie who is asking that people post her photo and adoption details as widely as possible. She has been searching for many years with little success. The next time you read a reunion story, take note of how long the parties reuniting have searched for each other. Searches take minutes or years. Do not assume if your search has not been resolved yet that it never will be. Some searches do take a long time. Assuming that you do have a name, how do you begin to find that person? It mostly boils down to the process of elimination… [more]