How do I search for my biological mother?

Question

I was adopted when I was 2 months old through an agency. The adoption was a closed one, so the only info given to my parents was a physical description of my biological family. I live in Georgia and I've tried the web sites where you can post your info in the hopes that someone will find you, but it's not getting me anywhere. I can't afford a p.i. or anything like that, so if anyone has any ideas it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

My mom was seven when she was adopted so she had a little information, but her adoption was also closed.  Depending on the time you were adopted, some of the laws may have changed.  If you have an idea of where your adoption took place, try visiting that court house.  My mom just walked in and asked to see her adoption court records.  I don't know what came over the clerk there, but she pulled the documents and let my mom read them.  She went back two weeks later and they were gone.  But, the clerk of courts might be able to help.  They may also be willing to give you a hint or tip to get you started in the right direction.  You may also check out any adoption agencies that serve the area you were adopted from.  Also, if you can, see if you may have been a ward of the state since you were adopted at 2 months, you had to have lived somewhere.  You might need to use the time frame of your adoption so that anyone you seek help from will have somewhere to start.

Good Luck

Answer 2

I'm a birthmom. I found my daughter in 2001, she was 29. I went looking for her, she said she was never going to look for me. I knew the name of the adoption agency but they were no help since my bdaughter was not looking for me. I found a search angel. They are out there to help you. Post on  some adoption bullitin boards. In the end, my experience has been great after finding her. Her parents did a great job raising her. She keeps us separate from her parents. Her children call us by our first names as she does. That is fine with us. Her dad and I actually got married 2 years after she was born and had a son, so she found out she had a full blood brother. My son didn't have a clue he had a sister, in fact only a few people knew. What a shock to tell relatives about the secret. I lived with a lot of guilt for a lot of years, I'm so happy I found her.

Answer 3

I think that you shouldn't search for her.  I think that she did a closed adoptions because she doesn't want to meet you and I know that sounds mean but better me to say that than for you to meet her and she be mean to you.  You have two parents who love you and accepted you into their family why do you need to find her?  You should be happy with the family you have they surely love you and think of you as their own.  What else do you need?

Answer 4

Start with birth certificates. If her name is on your birth certificate then try going backwards and find her birth certificate. Try grand parents and high school records or something like that.

Answer 5

I was adopted (through marriage after mother died - very long story) at the age of 3 in the State of Indiana.  My birth certificate is a Delayed Certificate of Birth.  It lists my adoptive parents as my parents.  However, the "Birth Certificate" is not recognized by any law enforcement agency in the country.  Not at the passport office, etc.

I found the hospital where I was born (TN) and learned a lot of information from them.  I simply searched the microfiche records and the hospital certificate was still on file.  I also talked to my adoptive dad and while he did not realize he had knowledge, he actually did know info about my family.

Check out www.adoption.com and check out the registry.  Post your information on the site and then search to see if anyone is looking for you based on the information you register.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

errm i guess you've tried everything, i hope you have some success x x http://www.durham.gov.uk/durhamcc/faq.ns...

Answer 7

I found court records where my birth cert. was changed.  I went from there.

Answer 8

Contact the vital records office in the state where you were born.  Ask the agency for any information.

A private investigator might not be as much as you would think, call around to find a good one that you can afford.

Answer 9

i found mine through paperwork. when i was born i was legally named Baby Girl Tullis by the hospital, because the adoption hadn't went through yet, so they used my biological mother's last name as my name.

then my adoptive parents six months later sent in a petition to legally change my name from Baby Girl Tullis to Rachel...

that petition showed me her name was Tullis, and it was easy enough to track her down after that.

good luck.

Answer 10

Go back to the courthouse and see if you can request a pre-adoption birth certificate. That's what I did, and it listed my birthmom's name and I started from there. I don't know what the laws are like in Georgia vs. Kansas, but I know Kansas is an open record state, so even though it was a closed adoption, the birth certificate was available upon request. If you can find her name, then go to the library or courthouse where she lived at the time of your birth and look up any and all public records. Hopefully that will help you track her down. Good luck to you! I hope it's a wonderful experience for you.

Answer 11

Take your information to someone who does searches for a living and is looking for references to be licensed.  They usually will do searches for direct expenses they incur.  I was adopted.  My birth mom had me in SC but I got my info and the searcher found out that my mom was from Georgia (Bryan County).

Other than that, I really don't want to get too detailed.  There are lots of things to look for in your information.  E-mail me and I can guide you a little better.  Yes, I found my mom and dad.  I ended up with 4 half sisters (two of whom I am close to) and assorted nieces and nephews.  You can meet them or not.  I wanted closure.  To me, it was amazing to find out that I look so much like my mom and my baby sister.  We all look so much alike, my adoptive mom had trouble telling us all apart.  My daughter has blonde hair and my niece has brunette, like me so when we are all together it is kinda hard to tell who belongs to who.  For me, that is great.

Answer 12

Get in touch with the Agency!  That's what I'm trying to do.  I was adopted in WI but the agency's changed it's name or no longer exists.  I'm a procrastinator so I've not really looked into it.

Answer 13

I have lots of information based on this question and in regards to some of the answers that were given.



This link will give you specific information regarding your adoption records in the state of GA.  

http://laws.adoption.com/statutes/georgi...

GA is not an open records state but they do have options in place that may make it easier for you to try to locate than you think.  This site will tell you who to contact regarding receiving non-id info as well as the possibility of an intermediary making contact with you bio parents.  

Have you registered with isrr.net?  if not do this right away. It's free (don't go to isrr.com!!)

Most adoptions are considered closed but remember this is also what the bio parents were told when they place children for adoption.  They are told that you are giving up any possibility of every seeing or contacting this child again.  Many do not know or believe that they have the right to try to locate their children.  So just because they are not actively looking for you doesn't mean they won't welcome you finding them.  Most but not all reunions go very well but some do not turn out as expected.  

Hospital records are not accessibly to anyone except the patient whose names are on the records due to recent changes in privacy laws. (HIPPA)  You will not have access to these records because you will not be listed as a patient unless your stay extended beyond that of your birth mother's.  The other problem is you would need to know what your birth last names was and you don't have that info.

The agency as well as the state has your adoption records so contact both for non-id information.  One may give you more or different information than the other.

A PI can not do anything for you unless you know at least the last name of the bio parents.  Once you have this information you can search just as well as anyone you would have to pay $ to.  If someone suggests that for a fee they can locate bio parents without already knowing their names, they are lying because they do not have any authority to open records.  This can only be done by someone authorized by the court.

Good luck!

Answer 14

try going back to the agency and asking, but it just might be that your bio mother does not want to be found, my Dh was adopted at 2 days old and it was a closed adoption, but the information he was giving was that his bio mom was a teen and his bio Father was married to someone else at the time and was some kind of senator or something and did not want it to get out that he had a b*****d son out of wedlock with a teen. that is all he knows and cares to know at this point in his life, so don't be surprised if you cant get anymore information then you already have, that is why it is called closed adoption, the birth mom and dad did not want to know anything more about the child they gave away, it might be best for everyone to just leave it alone.

Answer 15

I am a biological mother of a baby girl I gave up for adoption 3 weeks after I graduated High School.  I hid my pregnancy from everyone.   It was a "black market" adoption, not with an adoption agency, just a lawyer.  I did meet the adoptive parents when I turned the baby over, at that time I thought it was the right thing to do.  A year later I tried to get her back, I had talked to the lawyer and the adoptive father and they talked me out of it because I was then married and expecting another baby.  Years later I tried to locate the lawyer and my daughter, all I had was his name and the state the baby was taken to.  My daughter just turned 31, I have never gotten any response from the adoption forums I posted on, the lawyer is not practicing any more and I have had no luck here in my home state.  I don't have the money to travel to the adoptive state.  

My suggestion to you is ~ Don't Give Up ~  somebody will help you.  I would start with the City Hall where your birth certificate was issued, request an original one, before the changes if possible.  Have you checked with the agency?  Don't let them tell you that your birth mother used a closed adoption because she doesn't want to be found.  From you posting here, you must be a young woman now.  Through all the years that have passed, your mother has probably thought about you every birthday, every holiday and every day in between, that's what I do to this day about my daughter, Kathleen.   I used a black market lawyer from an ad I found in the local newspaper, I was young (17), naive, embarrased, and I never told my parents until years later.  I wish my daughter was looking for me, maybe we would have found each other, but either way I just hope she is happy and feels she is loved every day.

I wish you loads of luck in your search, just remember, Don't Give Up!

Take care and Good Luck.