How to Find Your Birth Parents Without Hiring an Agency

Stacy Grady
Stacy Grady, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Dec 19, 2006 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
The path home is very long for most adopted individuals. Tracing the footsteps of the past can also be a very exhausting and expensive task. Thousands of people are put up for adoption each month and every day hundreds of people give up on trying to find the birth parents they have never met. However, there is hope. Start by talking with your adopted parents. While this may be very difficult, it is in fact the very best place to start. Chance are your adoptive parent may have some information on one or both of your birth parents. Every single piece of information is imperative, no matter how minuet it may seem. Ask them to please be very honest and tell you everything they may know. Ask your parents to provide you with the name of the adoption agency or attorney that handled your adoption. If possible, find the name of the hospital you were born in or the midwifes name that delivered you. If your adoptive parents are no longer alive or refuse to help you. You will want to contact every family member or family friend you can think of. Even, long lost Aunt Ellen may have some information. Do not disqualify anyone! Write everything down and take good notes. You will thank me later.

If you were not able to get the name of the hospital, or attending physician. Contact the administrative office of every hospital in your city of birth. Explain to the office associate that it is imperative that you receive a copy of your medical records. They should be able to tell you if they have them. Next, ask them the appropriate procedure for obtaining your medical file. This file will be very important, as it should contain the name of the delivery doctor, parents names and attending nurses. It may even have a forwarding address.

Once you have this information, you can request a copy of your original birth certificate from the Bureau of Vital Statistics. With your request, include your birth name, city of birth and biological parents names. If your records have been sealed, contact the State Court. You may request that the records be reopened.

Search birth, death and marriage records. These can normally be found at your local library. Marriage records usually include, date of marriage, birth dates and birth places of both the bride and the groom. It will also have the name of the minister who performed the marriage and two or more witnesses. Death records will usually include a biography of the person as well as the names of other family members. In addition, to this it may include names of schools, college and military experience.

All of these resources will be very valuable in helping you locate your birth parents. Enjoy your journey to self discovery and you will meet many friends along the way!

Published by Stacy Grady

I live in North Ridgeville, Ohio with my two teenage daughters, my husband and my Brittany Spaniel. My passion in life is reading, writing and nature. I hope that you will enjoy reading my articles as much...  View profile

  • Tracing the footsteps of the past can also be a very exhausting and expensive task.
  • Every single piece of information is imperative.
  • All of these resources will be very valuable in helping you locate your birth parents.
Over 7 million Americans have been adopted.

6 Comments

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  • guest8/13/2010

    Here's a strange one. My father may have had and affair with an 18 year old girl while he was married. I believe he got her pregnant with me. His wife couldn't have children and I may have been given to my father and his wife in the hospital. I was born at St. Vincent's Hospital (no longer exists)in Sherman, Texas in October 1951. I don't wish to meet my birth mother, only to confirm the event took place.

  • tammy (bender) otts4/28/2010

    my adoptive parents said my birth parents were married professionals Dad a CPA and Mom a music teacher or professional, stories change the said I had a twin on occasion. I was born and named Anne Elizabeth on March 31st 1966 in Syracuse ny the only medical I know is that my father had asma and was employed as a Cpa at the time of my adoption it took them 9 months to decide to give me up. Mean while I was in a foster home. I have also been told I had a twin and that they kept her that may well be a lie from my physco adoptive mother I dont know the story always changed I do know that thier laywers name was Lee Carroll in Syracuse Ny. my life has been a horrid journey of lies I am 44 and would sincerely like to know the truth of where I come from and what my medical problems may be caused from I would truly apppreciate any help possible. I have been told in 1966 all adoptive records were sealed. how do I find out how to get them unsealed? thankyou

  • michelle1/14/2010

    i have been dying to know who my birth parents are because i have been having problems with my adopted parents

  • aaa12/23/2009

    i don't know my parents I have no clue what they look like and I want to find them help me please

  • Tiffany Lustick12/12/2009

    Is there anything you can recommend if my adopted parents don't tell me anything. They said the hospital I was born in burnt down...

  • Stephanie Guidry12/27/2006

    Great tips! This gives hope to many who are searching for that parent. Excellent and well-written.

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