“I was adopted when I was just a few days old, and I’m trying to find my birth parents.”
“After my grandfather died, I learned he had been adopted as a child. I want to find out more about his biological family. After all, they’re my family too.”
“About 20 years ago, I placed my baby for adoption because I couldn’t give him a good life. All these years, I’ve never stopped thinking about him. I wish I could find him.”
Discovering details about an adoption can be a significant and poignant journey, whether you’re an adoptee, a biological or adoptive parent, another relative, or a researcher. Adoption records can be an important part of this journey.
Adoption Over Time
Adoption—the practice of parents taking permanent responsibility for a nonbiological child—has very likely been happening throughout the history of humankind.
Depending on the time, place, and laws, adoptions could be formal (arranged by legal agreement) or informal (as when a child lived with nonbiological parents and was simply considered adopted, without a legal agreement). Adoptions tend to go through legal channels in modern societies with well-established legal systems.
In some locations and time periods, especially prior to the 19th century, the needs of adopted children were given little consideration. Children might be “adopted” to serve as apprentices or even cheap labor.
Because of the hardships and even abuses these children suffered, people began to pay more attention to their needs. Laws were passed to protect their interests, such as the Massachusetts Adoption of Children Act and the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect to Intercountry Adoption.
All these factors impact the types of adoption records available.
Adoption and Privacy
Understandably, adoption can be a sensitive topic for all involved. For this reason, governments and other custodians of adoption records often have restrictions on whether these records can be accessed, and if so, by whom.
To protect the privacy of birth parents, adoption records may be “sealed,” meaning they cannot be viewed without a court order or similar authorization. In recent years, however, there has been a trend toward easing these restrictions.
In many cases, privacy requirements depend on whether adoption information is non-identifying or identifying. Non-identifying information includes things such as medical background or parents’ occupation, education, or religion. On the other hand, identifying information is information that “may lead to the positive identification of birth parents, the adult adoptee, or other birth relatives.”
Non-identifying information is generally provided to the adoptive parents and the adoptee; identifying information usually has greater restrictions.
Types of Records Available
Every adoption is unique, and the records created vary widely. Laws vary between locations and even over time in the same location.
Depending on the time, place, and circumstances, consider checking the following types of records for adoption information:
- Birth certificates. Adoptees may have 2 birth certificates: the original one listing the birth parent or parents and a second one listing the adoptive parent or parents.
- Court or other legal documents. When an adoption was legally formalized, there are likely court records, attorney records, and so forth.
- Medical records. Doctors and hospitals may keep records of children in their care who were later placed for adoption.
- Post-adoption agreements. The birth parents and adoptive parents may choose to make formal agreements about items such as correspondence with the adopted child and even visitation.
- Adoption agency records. If the adoption was handled through an agency, the agency usually has records, including home studies and sometimes even letters from biological family members.
- Newspapers. Newspapers may contain announcements about births and adoptions. Obituaries may contain adoption information. In the days of the Orphan Train in the United States, newspapers sometimes announced the arrival of children to be adopted.
- Wills. A parent’s will might mention an adoptive child.
- Indenture or Apprentice records. Records for children who were indentured or apprenticed may mention parents or guardians.
- Genealogical and Historical Societies sometimes have adoption lists.
- Orphanages, maternity homes, and similar institutions. These institutions may have records about children that were under their care and later adopted.
- Church records. Infant baptisms or sacramental records may provide helpful information about adopted children.
- Census records. Adopted children are sometimes listed as such in census records. However, be aware that sometimes adopted children were simply listed as “son” or “daughter.”
- Family records. Don’t forget your own family records. Talk to family members; ask about journals, certificates, photographs, and other significant items.
Many repositories charge fees for copies of their records. In addition, as mentioned above, a court order or similar authorization may be required.
Helpful Resources
Whether you’re just starting your search or trying to break through brick walls, resources like the following may be helpful:
- The FamilySearch Research Wiki. This site contains many articles on adoption in different parts of the world.
- RootsTech videos. The RootsTech On Demand library contains a variety of recorded classes about adoption.
One of several RootsTech sessions on adoption. - Adoption Registries. These registries allow both adoptees and birth parents to share information to make it possible for them to connect with each other.
- Professional help. Depending on the circumstances, it may be helpful to engage an experienced professional, such as a genealogy researcher or an attorney.
The journey to find adoption records can be challenging, and the outcome isn’t guaranteed. But for many, the effort is worth it to find out more about their family.
