Advice on finding bio dad?

Question

My husband is 41 and is trying to find out who his biological father is. Both his mother and father have passed and he did not find out this information until this mother recently passed. We have asked any family who might know, but all we know is his first name. We have tried the courts that we thought they might have lived in, but no luck. They moved around a lot. His mother married his adopted father in 1967, so I am guessing the adoption was some time after that and before he started kindergarden in 1670. Any suggestions on how to find out? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

The first place to start is with the information he DOES know. What hospital was he born in?  This may be on his birth certificate.  If he knows this, he may be able to get a copy of his hospital records. The hospital may not have been notified about his adoption. You may need his original name at birth.  Or you can try to find a list of babies born on that day in that hospital.

Sign up with the International Soundex Reunion Registry:

http://www.isrr.net/

What state was he born in?  6 states provide a copy of the original birth certificate upon request: Alabama, Alaska, Deleware, Kansas,  New Hampshire, & Oregon. (Maine will be added to the list as of January 2009)

Many other states have reunion registries.  

Keep a "search" binder with copies of every piece of correspondence or e-mail sent, all responses received, & a log of agencies, address', phone numbers, contact names & information gathered. Doing this will help avoid duplication of efforts, ensure a response is received &/or follow up is needed, & provide a guide map to the next step. I still have my binder from 1983! It's like an adoption search scrapbook!

Send me an e-mail if you'd like more help.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You could post his information on a website that specializes in this sort of thing. Post stuff about the mother and maybe what little you might know about the father. The more info the better. Maybe somebody else might find it and even know who you are talking about. Best of luck! I've even heard of people finding biological parents on myspace. But it's usually younger people. I'm going to guess at the age his bio dad would be at he wouldn't be on myspace. Good luck!

Answer 3

from: http://genealogy.about.com/cs/adoption/a...

Beginning the Search

The first objective of an adoption search is to discover the names of the birth parents who gave you up for adoption, or the identity of the child you relinquished.

Just like a genealogy search, an adoption search should always begin with yourself. Write down everything you know about your birth and adoption, from the name of the hospital in which you were born to the agency which handled your adoption.

The best place to turn next, is your adoptive parents. They are the ones most likely to hold possible clues. Write down every bit of information they can provide, no matter how insignificant it may seem. If you feel comfortable, then you can also approach relatives and family friends with your questions.

Gather together all available documents. Ask your adoptive parents or contact the appropriate government official for documents such as an amended birth certificate, petition for adoption, and the final decree of adoption.

Contact the Agency or the State that handled your adoption for your non-identifying information. This non-identifying information will be released to the adoptee, adoptive parents, or birthparents, and may include clues to help you in your adoption search. The amount of information varies depending upon the details that were recorded at the time of the birth and adoption. Each agency, governed by state law and agency policy, releases what is considered appropriate and non-identifying, and may include details on the adoptee, adoptive parents, and birth parents such as:

Medical history

Health status

Cause of and age at death

Height, weight, eye, hair color

Ethnic origins

Level of education

Professional achievement

Religion

On some occasions, this non-identifying information may also include the parents ages at time of birth, the age and s*x of other children, hobbies, general geographical location, and even the reasons for the adoption.

Register in State and National Reunion Registries, also known as Mutual Consent Registries, which are maintained by government or private individuals. These registries work by allowing each member of the adoption triad to register, hoping to be matched with someone else who might be searching for them. One of the best is the International Soundex Reunion Registry (ISRR).

Join an adoption support group or mailing list. Beyond supplying much needed emotional support, adoption support groups can also provide you with information concerning current laws, new search techniques, and up-to-date information. Adoption search angels may also be available to assist with your adoption search.

If you're very serious about your adoption search and have the financial resources (there is usually a substantial fee involved), consider petitioning for the services of a Confidential Intermediary (CI). Many states and provinces have instituted intermediary or search and consent systems to allow adoptees and birth parents the ability to contact each other through mutual consent. The CI is given access to the complete court and/or agency file and, using the information contained in it, attempts to locate the individuals. If and when contact is made by the intermediary, the person found is given the option of allowing or refusing contact by the party searching. The CI then reports the results to the court; if the contact has been refused that ends the matter. If the person located agrees to contact, the court will authorize the CI to give the name and current address of the person sought to the adoptee or birthparent. Check with the state in which your adoption occurred as to the availability of an Confidential Intermediary System.

Answer 4

You need to go to his place of birth and start from there.  Also register on every registry out there.  ISRR and Adoption.com's registry as well.