In Part 1, I was discussing the records that an adoptee received after petitioning the court to obtain his records. His birth parents' names were blocked out in most spots on the documents. Although the clerk left the birth parents' names readable in several spots, in this particular instance, it did not help us to find the birth dad. (Birth mom had an affair while her husband was away in the service and had since passed away – taking the secret of the birth father with her.) The birth mother had listed, not the birth father’s name, but her husband’s name on the birth certificate.

This is not uncommon. In most states, a husband is presumed to be the biological father of any child his wife gives birth to and must be listed on the birth certificate as such. Children conceived as the result of an affair may have a more difficult time in finding their birth fathers if the birth mother is deceased or refuses to provide his name.

Another reason that searching in California is easier than some states is due to the fact that there is an extremely active adoption community in California. There are many reunited birth parents and adoptees who successfully searched themselves, and they are eager to help others search.

There are a few disadvantages to searching in California. The sheer vastness of our state can make a search more difficult. There are several very large cities within the state which could complicate a search. In addition, California does not have the confidential intermediary system ("C.I.")that some states have in place. The C.I. system has its pros and cons, but, it can sometimes make searching easier.

California does not have an official adoption registry, however, most states registries have proven fairly ineffective in helping to effect reunions. Therefore, the lack of a state registry is not considered a huge negative factor.

The best place to start in California is to visit this link at the official State of California website.State of California website Info re Seeking Adoption Records.

If you know the agency that handled the adoption, start there. Get your non-identifying information ("non-id")from them. Otherwise, you can get your non id from the state that handled the adoption.

To be Continued.....................................