United States Adoption Research Strategies, 1900s-2000s

Assembling Information and Documents

 * Adoptive parents knowledge: Discuss the details of the adoption with the adoptive parents or other close relatives.
 * Adoption agency: Determine the name and contact information of any adoption agency the adoptive parents used.
 * Hospital: See if family members know the hospital where the child was born. They may have received the child at the hospital.
 * Attorney: If the adoption was arranged by an attorney, ask for his name and get his contact information.


 * Documents: Gather any documents the family has about the birth.
 * Amended birth certificate
 * An amended birth certificate, created after an adoption is finished, lists the names of the adoptive parents just as if the child had been born to them originally.
 * Many people will have an amended birth certificate, with no access to the original. About half of the States allow adults to have access to their original birth certificates. See Adult Adoptee Access to Original Birth Certificates
 * In other States, an original birth certificate may be obtained through a court petition.
 * Hospital records

Understand the difference between identifying and nonidentifying information.
You will want to research and understand state statutes about the release of these two different levels of information.

Nonidentifying information: Nonidentifying information includes the health, behavioral health, developmental, educational, and social histories of the child and the child's parents and other birth relatives. Nearly all States allow an adult adoptee to access nonidentifying information about birth relatives, generally upon written request. Usually, the adoptee must be at least age 18 before he or she may access this information. Information may include:
 * Date and place of the adoptee's birth
 * Age of the birth parents and general physical description, such as eye and hair color
 * Race, ethnicity, religion, and medical history of the birth parents
 * Educational level of the birth parents and their occupations at the time of the adoption
 * Reason for placing the child for adoption
 * Existence of other children born to each birth parent

Identifying information: Identifying information is information from the disclosure of adoption records or elsewhere that may lead to the positive identification of birth parents, the adult adoptee, or other birth relatives. Identifying information may include current or past names of the person, addresses, employment, or other similar records or information.
 * Statutes in nearly all States permit the release of identifying information when the person whose information is sought has consented to the release.
 * If consent is not on file with the appropriate entity, the information may not be released without a court order documenting good cause to release the information. A person seeking a court order must be able to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that there is a compelling reason for disclosure that outweighs maintaining the confidentiality of a party to an adoption.
 * Access to information is not always restricted to birth parents and adoptees. Approximately 37 States allow birth siblings of the adoptee to seek and release identifying information upon mutual consent.

Study the laws specific to the state where the adoption took place.
Use these links to learn about the statutes governing the adoption, based on the state where it occurred.


 * State Statutes Search, Child Welfare Information Gateway
 * Select a state from the drop-down menu.
 * Then check the box on a topic under the "Adoption List". Especially try "Access to Adoption Records" or "Providing Adoptive Parents With Information About Adoptees and Their Birth Families".
 * Click "Go!".

Filing Court Petitions

 * If you were adopted, you may petition the court to open sealed adoption records. Whether this is successful may depend on the State, the judge, the reason given for the request, and other factors. Medical necessity will be the most successful reason used. If the birth parents are deceased, petitions are usually successful
 * Petitioning the court does not require an attorney’s services, although attorneys may be helpful.
 * Depending on State laws, the judge may
 * agree to release only nonidentifying information (which should be available by asking any agency),
 * agree to release a summary of information,
 * deny the petition completely,
 * appoint an intermediary, such as the original adoption agency or a professional searcher, to locate the birth parents and determine whether they want to release information or be reunited (in some States).

How to File
Contact the county clerk where the adoption took place and ask for a petition form. File the completed form with the county court.

For Further Reading
For a more detailed understanding or answers to other questions you may hove, consult these excellent articles:
 * Searching for Birth Relatives
 * Access to Adoption Records
 * Providing Adoptive Parents With Information About Adoptees and Their Birth Families