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In addition to telling you how to access search and support groups, I'm going to repeat some information here just in case you missed it on The Adoption Experience page. I'm also going to recommend that you do a couple of things before you start your official search.

Some of this may sound obvious but many people don't do it. You need to keep track of everything that you do. A special section on your computer is fine, but a backup hard copy, such as a notebook, is even better. Computers crash.

You will need screen name or a user ID for the groups you may join as well as for the sites with which you may register your information. Select one that is unique to you and keep it. I'd also advise you go get a yahoo email account (that's free too) and keep it solely for adoption related email. It is easily done by going to Yahoo.com and it will also come in very handy if you join any of the yahoo search and support groups.

When you go to yahoo search and support groups, there is a place to type in the type of group you are looking for. If you type in adopting, you will get a search result over 2,000. I'd suggest typing in adoption plus the state or the area of a state in which you were born and adopted. That will narrow your search results. As you check out the list, it will also tell you how many members each group has. Those with the largest number of members is not only more active but likely has more search angels on board.

A word about adoption groups or forums as they are sometimes called:

I guess anyone can start a yahoo group. Some are very active and pro reunion. Some are much more geared to the actual search process and others are more geared to "feelings" and how to deal with them. Both are good, it just depends upon what you need. A few are, what I would consider to be, quite anti birth mother. I'd suggest you avoid those and that's why I given you a list of those groups I am familiar with and can easily recommend.

Do This First

Do This Second

Search and Support Groups I Recommend

If you are ready to start searching or to see if anyone has been searching for you, we will help.

The first thing you should do is register with the Internation Soundex Reunion Registry, knows as ISRR. This is simple to do and it's free. Just print out the form, complete it with as much information as you have and mail it.

ISRR is a system for matching persons who desire contact with their next of kin.

Who may register:

Any child/adoptee who is 18 years of age or older.

Any birth parent, sibling or relatives.

Any adoptive parents of an adoptee may register, even if the adoptee is still under 18 years of age.

Only the adoptee must wait until he or she is 18 years of age. Adoptive parents who know their adopted child wishes to search when he/she is of legal age, and birth parents or birth family members may submit registry information prior to the adoptee's 18th birthday. It is wise to do this because when the adoptee registers, the match can be made more quickly.

My niece submitted her information almost ten years before her birth mother submitted her registration and I submitted mine as her aunt. It's sad to know this adoptee, now a young woman with children of her own, waited for ten years thinking we didn't want to find her. The truth is we didn't know about ISRR.

Registrations are computerized. If data matches and the ISRR determines a relationship exists, all parties are notified immediately. If you fill out the registration by hand, be sure to print clearly and use a pen that won't spear, making your information difficult to read.

If you move or change your phone number, be sure to update your information or they will not be able to reach you if a match is made.

The second thing you should do is register with Registry.Adoption.com You can begin a basic search using the information you have and you can also add your information to their database. They have over 301,010 adoptions records and they have a variety of search options. Sometimes putting in less information results in more search results. Remember the person you are searching for may not have as much information as you have.

Once you've done those two things, check in "Support" for Search and Support Groups in your state or other groups that work all states. Join each group, add your information to the database and check it to see if someone is searching for you. All of these adoption boards are for all birth family members and adoptees and all of them are good.

The Registry.The Registry has over 2,000 members and is a very caring community. Assistance and free search angel help for nationwide searches.

Soaring Angels This group, which has over 500 members, provides search assistance and support for nationwide searches. A very caring group of folks here too.

The Adoption Database is a google group. It's a very active board with a large database. The moderator of this board conducts no find-no fee searches for a reasonable fee. There are many search angels on this board who help you search for no fee. I prefer the yahoo forums over this google forum, but it's just a matter of what you're used to. This board is very helpful and supportive. Even if you cannot keep up with the mail, please put your information into their database.

New York Adoptees is a very active board with over 280 members. The site is for NY adoptees, siblings and parents who are searching.

Cousin Connect is a general genealogy board with many adoptees and birth families listed. The entires on this board are surname based. I've found that you can enter Unknown or the name of the state where you were born if you don't know the surname. You can also enter your adoptive surname. There is no mailing list associated with this board.

Each of the boards I've recommended has an area where you can post pictures and browse files of information related to your search.

There are thousands of other boards or sites where you can register for free. Each of you can select those which best suit your needs. I will work on adding boards that are unique to a particular state or area in the future.

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Back To The Adoption Experience Homepage.

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It didn't matter who you were, if you had the money you could buy a baby. No background checks were made and records were often falisfied.

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Some maternity homes operated above board while other were no more than baby brokers.

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Over-crowding in orphanages in the east lead to the transport of hundreds of children to the midwest. Most never saw their parents again.

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Read about the trains, the agencies who provided the young travelers carrying few belongings and not knowing where they would end up.

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Registration Day (Reg Day) an annual event; to encourage and support. Any birth family member or adoptee can register at ISRR.net for free.

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There are many search angels. Some work entirely for free, some work on a no find-no fee basis and others charge very reasonable rates. Coming soon.

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