The decision to place your child up for adoption is a difficult one. You may have made arrangements to have a closed adoption in order to never see the child again. But as some birth parents age, they find a deepening need to meet their biological child. While some adoption records are sealed, you can do some light detective work to find where your biological child you placed for adoption lives today.
Step 1
Gather documentation and information about the child. If you were able to name her or have a birth certificate, gather that information, along with the name of the doctor who cared for the pregnant mother, the hospital the child was delivered at and any documentation from the adoption agency that you still have available.
Step 2
Contact the adoption agency that you placed your child up for adoption with. It'll be able to tell you if the adoption records are sealed or if your biological child has contacted them in search of his birth parents and left contact information. If the records are not sealed, you may be able to get a location and adoptive parents names to help you in your search.
Step 3
Call the hospital where the adopted child was born. Even if adoption records are sealed, you may be able to ask for information about the birth date and the names of the adoptive parents who brought the child home from the hospital. Note that some hospitals will not be willing to give out that information; respect their privacy if they say so.
Step 4
Register with an adoption website registry, so that if your child is also looking for you, you can find them. The International Soundex Reunion Registry is a helpful tool where you can list who you are and who you're looking for so that the adopted child can find you, should he be looking. See the "Resources" section for the ISR Registry.
Step 5
Hire a private detective if your searches go without success. A private detective may be able to more fully piece the puzzle together of where the adopted child ended up and with whom.
Step 6
Respect the child's right to privacy in this matter and never resort to illegal tactics in order to retain information on her whereabouts. As an adopted child, she has no duty to her biological family, especially if the adoption was a closed one. You may not be able to find her simply because she doesn't want to be found.
