(1) Create a Search Journal(2) Discuss the search with your birth parents and birth family.(3) Read G'S Top 10 things to do to help your search http://www.gsadoptionregistry.com/gstop10things.html
(4) Locate any adoption papers
(5) Retrieve a copy of final adoption decree.
(6) You might want to consider DNA testing.
• Check out all the sites for possible sales as they can drop the price lower than $99.00; some of them give discounts if you buy other tests (such as getting your children tested) at the same time you order yours. Here are 3 companies who do this test, each is a bit different to work with. Prices are about $99.00 at each site but some do have sales at times or discounts. (www.ftdna.com & www.23andme.com & www.ancestrydna.com)
(7) Contact the law firm or attorney who assisted in adoption(8) Contact delivery physician
(9) File a waiver of confidently with the adoption agency, law firm, and the courts.
(10) Attempt to retrieve original birth certificate.
(11) Apply for medical records from the hospital where adoptee was born.
(12) Contact the judge about opening adoption records.
(13) Formally petition the court to open adoption records.
(14) Contact the adoption agency
(15) Check both county and state records for marriage and / or divorce records for either of the adoptive parents.
(16) Learn about the adoption laws for birth state and state adoption was finalized in.
(17) Check old high school and college yearbooks.
(18) Write to the Adoption Regulation Unit in your state to access adoption records.
(19) Check with former employers about possible forwarding addresses of adoptive parents.
(20) Order a copy of the Guide to Genealogical Records in the National Archives The National Archives, Washington, DC 20408
(21) Find maps for the area you are searching.
(22) Create a profile or the hometown or region where adoptee was said to have been adopted.
(23) Create a list of all the libraries in your area and in the localities where you are focusing your search.
(24) Check city directories to match an occupation to a name.
(25) Check in city directories to locate former or current employers of adoptive parents.(26) Cross reference city directory information year by year.(27) Check in city directories to locate old addresses of adoptive parents.(28) Check phone books and national phone directory discs for adoptive parents(29) Locate all churches of the faith of adoptive parents in the area where they were living at the time of adoption.(30) Check any possible surnames against a book of possible name deviations(31) Check local churches in the area near where adoptive parents were living at time of adoption for baptismal records.(32) Check local churches in areas where you believe adoptive parents may have resided for their own baptismal, marriage, or death records.(33) .Join a local or national search and support organization, and sign up in their registry if they maintain one. http://www.gsadoptionregistry.com/gssupportgroups.html(34) Create your own library of search and reunion books.(35) Advertise in adoption search magazines.(36) Advertise in newspapers where you believe adoptive parents were living or might reside.(37) Contact old landlords for forwarding addresses.(38) Contact old neighbors for forwarding addresses and other information.(39) Visit old neighborhoods in person to locate past acquaintances of adoptive parents.(40) Check with a high school or college chairman about the current address of a adoptive parent or request a list of entire class.
(42) Read G'S Introduction for Beginners and Newcomers http://www.gsadoptionregistry.com/beginnerstutorial.html
