Some of the reasons why families become splintered can be explained with marriage statistics. In 2005, 37 percent of American children were being raised by only one parent. It's the highest number in the Western world, according to DivorceMagazine.com. Kids with divorced parents living in different states are often missing out on having a relationship with cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents that are related to the noncustodial parent. If you're interested in getting in touch with relatives you haven't heard from in years, there are many free ways to do so.
Step 1
Search the Social Security Death Index on RootsWeb. Type in your family member's first and last name. Because the database is indexed by social security number, for a female, you may need to search using a married or maiden name.
Step 2
Search for relatives using a people search engine. Popular people search sites will crawl through the "deep web," which is content found in documents and databases that store information about people. Ordinary search engines will just search for the words you type into the search field. For a nominal fee, you can obtain documents from the public domain, such as marriage licenses or divorce papers, land deeds and court records.
Step 3
Register on the International Soundex Reunion Registry. The ISRR helps reunite family members. Download an application on the registration page and mail it back. If your relatives are already registered, you will be contacted immediately. Otherwise, your file stays open until a reunion can be organized.
Step 4
Search Military Connections or GISearch if your relatives ever served in the armed forces. Go to the Find a Buddy page on Military Connections or post a note and photo on GISearch's Lost & Found page.
Step 5
Type your family member's name into the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator if your relative was ever in prison. Information available to the public includes where an inmate served and when he was released. The location your relative was in prison is the state in which the crime was committed, which is likely where he lived at the time. And because many inmates are released on parole, they're required to stay in that state for varying amounts of time.
Step 6
Search city directories. City directories list the inhabitants of each city and region including occupation and family members. They're published each year and sometimes provide a forwarding address for someone who has moved in the past year. City directories are filed at public and university libraries. You can find a repository near you by going to the City Directories of the United States website and choosing your location.
Step 7
Hire a private investigator. If your search requires you to go to libraries or vital records offices in other states, it may save you time and money to hire a P.I. Be sure the firm you employ is licensed and bonded. Find out the fee structure and do not agree to anything until a contract is drawn up and signed by both parties.
Tips and Warnings
- Prior to starting your search, be sure your relative does not have a social networking account. If you find family members on Facebook or LinkedIn, you can quickly send an email without having to pay a fee or go to the library. Female relatives that you haven't seen since childhood may now be married and living with a different last name.
