How to find past adoption information in Ohio?

Question

I'm trying to help my husband (who is adopted) find his biological mother and father, but i dont even know where to start!

Answer 1

First, does he have any information from his adoptive parents?  Anything will help.  Names, places, dates.  Get as much as you can.

Next, make sure his information is registered at ISRR

http://www.isrr.net

Was he adopted through an agency?  (I was adopted through Catholic Charities.)  If so, he should contact them and see what information they can give him.  (Catholic Charities even offers a search service for a fee.  Whether you want to take that route may depend on how much information you can dig up on your own.)

If you know what county in Ohio he was adopted in, you can petition the court for the original birth certificate.  However, you can only get that if you have a very good medical reason or if the biological mother has filed a waiver.  Unless she is actively seeking, she isn't likely to know to do that.  

This gets you started.  Any information you get can be entered into online databases for people searching.  The more information you can uncover the better.  I'm sure others will also chime in with other resources.  (Feel free to contact me through Yahoo!)

Good luck!

Answer 2

post your information on this site.  The record for OH reunions with this group of search angels is astounding.

http://www.gsadoptionregistry.com/home.h...

If you haven't requested your non-id you need to do so as soon as possible.  This site will give you information on how to do that.

http://laws.adoption.com/statutes/ohio-l...

Request information from the county where the adoption was finalized as well as the agency if one was used.  They both have information and each one may give you something different.

Answer 3

The Ohio Department of Health houses birth and adoption records of persons born in Ohio and adopted anywhere in the United States.

Below is the list of Adoption laws and procedures that are used in Ohio:

Ohio Adoption Registry

Adoptions Prior to Jan. 1, 1964 – Adoption Records Open to Adopted Person with Proper ID

Adoptions Between Jan. 1, 1964 and Sept. 18, 1996 – Adoption Records are Sealed and Only Opened by a Court Order (H.B. 84)

Adoptions After Sept. 18, 1996 – Adoption Records are Open if Adopted Person is between 18-21 Years of Age (H.B. 419)

For more information contact:

Ohio Department of Health

Vital Statistics

P.O. 118

Columbus, Ohio 43216-0118

Telephone: [phone]

Answer 4

A great (and free) resource helping people searching for their biological family is http://www.findmybiologicalparents.com

They also offer a free registry.

Answer 5

Good luck.  =)

You can try with the adoption agency, if there was one.  But they frequently will give you a huge run-around with little or no result.  

You can try for an original birth certificate (OBC) but again - good luck.  I believe at this point there are only 8 - 10 states that allow OBC's to be given out, and I don't know if Ohio is one of them.  (Many states are lobbying to have this information made available to adoptees, but it is slow going.)   Some states also will allow information to be given regarding siblings (if any) that were given up for adoption.  (MN will grant this info - but it is so new that at this point, still get the run around from various agencies ( government & adoption)).

Check out some of the answers already given here in the adoption section and a more passive way is to register on adoption sites.

Good luck!!