United States Adoption Research

See also United States, How to Find Genealogy Records

Early Adoption Records

 * Check out the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county the adoption took place for early adoption records. A Wiki page for the county will give contact information.
 * National Orphan Train Complex of Concordia, Kansas Wiki page: Orphan train research helps find foster children between 1853 and 1930 who rode trains from New York City, Boston, or Chicago to new homes in other states or Canada. Many children rode the train to the Midwest: Illinois, Indian, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, or Texas were they were "placed" with families.
 * Children's Aid Society of New York City Wiki page. The Children's Aid Society of New York was the primary sending institution involved in the orphan train movement from 1853-1930 which "placed out" by railroad 200,000 orphans, abandoned, or homeless children to 48 states and Canada. In some cases they have records of birth parents.
 * New York Foundling Hospital Wiki page. The New York Foundling Hospital was one of the two main sending institutions involved in the orphan train movement from 1853-1930 which "placed out" by railroad 200,000 orphans, abandoned, or homeless children to 48 states and Canada. In some cases they have records of birth parents.

Finding Recent Adoption Records

 * United States Adoption Research Strategies, 1900s-2000s A comprehensive explanation of strategies with important links to records.

For Further Reading
[https://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/adult-adoptee-access-to-original-birth-certificates.aspx#:~:text=Colorado%2C%20Delaware%2C%20Illinois%2C%20Maryland,the%20information%20not%20be%20released. Adult Adoptee Access to Original Birth Certificates]
 * Searching for Birth Relatives
 * Access to Adoption Records