Adoption Records Handbook: Locate Your Birth Family Legally & Creatively!. Teresa Brown. 2008. 136p. Crary Publications. Inside the covers of this book are lists of Search Angels who will help in searches at no charge, addresses of where to send a Waiver and requests for non-identifying information along with samples of the proper notarized letter formats, sixteen pages of imaginative and helpful search tips, further letter examples, registries, state statutes, and several other helpful resources. There are also templates of an Affidavit, Notice, Petition, and Order including statutes that apply to every state that can conform to Pro Se (doing-it-yourself) court filings. The Adoption Records Handbook is a road map to help birth families discover the past and the future with step-by-step directions to lead the way down their path. This book will have a profound impact on currently available adoption search methods.

Adoption Reunion Handbook, The. Liz Trinder, et al. 2004. 174p. John Wiley & Sons. Describes the experiences that people have had when tracing their birth parents, as well as offering practical advice on how to go about searching and what to expect emotionally. Each section has an advice box which summarizes key points, notes issues to pay particular attention to, or offers draft letters that readers can adapt for their own needs. The appendix contains useful addresses and weblinks, and includes checklists for searching and for the reunion. Chapters include reunion with birth fathers and birth siblings, as well as with birth mothers, the relationship with the adoptive family and dealing with reunions that break down.

Adoption Reunion Stories: True Heart-Warming Accounts. Shirley Budd Pusey. 2006. 266p. Acacia Publishing, Inc. In Adoption Reunion Stories, the author chronicles the deeply moving experiences of 38 adoptees and 56 other family members. Each person interviewed contributes insights gained through the process of learning about and/or meeting other members of the adoption triad. Anyone who has ever been involved with an adoption, whether as a professional or as a family member, and especially those who are adopted or have placed a child for adoption, will find this book an invaluable source of enlightenment and comfort. About the Author: Shirley Budd Pusey was awarded a B.S. in Sociology and a Graduate Certificate in Social Work by the University of Utah. Prior to joining the staff of Family Service Agency of Phoenix as an adoption counselor, she was with the Denver Department of Child Welfare. She remained in that position for over 32 years until retirement. She was one of the first certified members of the Arizona Supreme Court’s Confidential Intermediary Program established in 1993 to facilitate reunions of consenting adult members of the adoption triad and continues to serve in that capacity. Shirley is a wife, mother of two daughters and grandmother of five. By the Same Author: Adoption With Love.

Adoption Reunion Survival Guide, The: Preparing Yourself for the Search, Reunion, & Beyond. Julie Jarrell Bailey, N Lynn Giddens & Annette Baran. 2001. 150p. New Harbinger Publications. Using real-life examples, this compassionate guide helps adoptees and their birth mothers decide whether or not to try to locate each other, prepare for a reunion, survive the emotional turbulence of the initial meeting, and avoid common pitfalls. Since the legal issues surrounding the process can vary greatly from one state to another, the book includes an overview of pertinent laws, along with practical suggestions for navigating through them.

Adoption Searchbook, The: Techniques For Tracing People. Mary Jo Rillera. 1981 (1st ed.). 1985 (2nd ed.). 205p.; 1991 (3rd rev. ed.). Pure CA (Formerly Triadoption Publications). Mary Jo Rillera is founder and president of Triadoption Library, Inc., in Westminster, CA. She was formerly Public Education Director for ALMA Western Region and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Concerned United Birthparents and Independent Search Consultants, as a Guardian Trustee for the International Soundex Reunion Registry and sits on the Orange County Adoption Council. In addition to her years of work within the adoption-reform movement, her personal search-and-reunion experiences as both adoptee and birth parent make her uniquely qualified to scrutinize the emotional and procedural aspects in post-adoption. Her writing reflects expertise in research methods and resources, and a deep personal commitment to change the Limitations inherent in the present adoption system. — From the back cover of the First Edition

Adoption Searcher’s Handbook: A Guidebook for Adoptees, Birth Parents & Others Involved in the Adoption Search. Norma M Tillman. 1993. 80p. UFO. Learn the adoption process, how to begin the search, sample request letters, where to find the information you need, what to do with the information you find, searching paper trails, how to ask the right questions, support groups, networks and other sources. By the Same Author: How to Find Almost Anyone, Anywhere and Secrets for Successful Searching: How to Locate Information & Find Almost Anyone.

Adoption Searches Made Easier. Joseph J Culligan. 1995. 584p. FJA. There are two distinct, but related, parts to doing an adoption search. First, you need to uncover the identity of the person for whom you are searching. Second, you need to locate that person after the passage of many years. Adoption Searches Made Easier will help you with both of these tasks. Written by a licensed private investigator, this book explains in detail the techniques and information sources you need to know in order to increase your chances of a successful search. It also contains extensive listings of resources by county and state.

Back to the Beginning: Remarkable True Stories of Adoption Searches & Reunions From the Case Files of Research Etc.. Ava Nell Friddle, Judy Carol Andrews & Kristen Elizabeth Hamilton, PIs, with Joe Bardin. 2008. 196p. Research Etc, Inc. Back to the Beginning is a compilation of true adoption search stories and offers a fascinating glimpse into the often secretive world of search and reunion from the viewpoints of triad members and the private investigators who worked on their cases. This book offers not only true stories that touch the heart, but invaluable experience in understanding the dynamics of adoption searches and reunions. About the Authors: Research Etc, Inc., is a licensed P.I. firm located in Scottsdale, AZ, that was founded in 1995 by sisters Kristen Hamilton and Judy Andrews, along with their mother, Ava Friddle, which specializes in adoption searches. For over a decade, the firm has helped facilitate a wide range of adoption reunions, from the initial search through first contact and beyond, sharing in every emotion with its clients, from joy to heartbreak. Judy and Kristen are also Certified Confidential Intermediaries for Arizona's C.I. Program. Joe Bardin is a professional writer based in Scottsdale, AZ, and his literary works on varied subjects have appeared in numerous publications nationally.

Birth Mother Search: Some Day I’ll Find Her. EB Schumacher. Frances Goodman, ed. 1991. 96p. Larksdale Press. I had always wondered about finding my birth mother, but until I was 35 years old, I had never done anything about it. Finally, I decided to take the plunge. I knew it would be difficult, but little did I know just how difficult it was going to be. First of all, I love my parents. They raised me and I appreciate all of the many opportunities in my life that would not otherwise have been available without their loving care. So it was only natural that I did not want to hurt them in any way. But it is my life to live, I am grown up now, and in my heart I think I am entitled to at least know about my birth mother if I am able to find her. I know. She may not want to see me. She may not have told anyone, particularly her present family about me. It has been so long. She may not want me in her life in any way. She probably has tried her best to forget that I ever happened. But whatever the truth is, I WANT TO KNOW. This book is about my search, and my discovery of my birth mother. I am not going to tell you whether it turned out good or bad. You will have to read the book to find out. But what I can tell you is since I had so much trouble with the search, I have given you an outline on how you can do your own search and perhaps avoid some of the pitfalls that I had to go through. — E.B. Schumacher

Birthbond: Reunions Between Birthparents & Adoptees: What Happens After. Judith S Gediman & Linda P Brown. 285p. 1989. New Horizon Press. What happens when birth parents and the children that they’ve placed for adoption meet? The authors of Birthbond conducted intensive interviews with 30 birthmothers who had successfully searched or been found. In addition, they talked with adoptees, members of the birth family, adoptive parents, adoption professionals and others involved with adoption in order to discover the impact of reunions on the lives of all who may be affected by adoption reunions.

Birthright: The Guide to Search & Reunion for Adoptees, Birthparents & Adoptive Parents. Jean Strauss. 1994. Viking Penguin. From Booklist: An adoptee offers compassionate and comprehensive guidance to locating “adoptees, birthparents and adoptive parents.” Strauss proceeds from the view that seeking reunion with relatives estranged by adoption is a good thing, and she marshals impressive reasoning and evidence to support her case. She discusses the laws that make adoption records confidential in the introduction and thereby sets the stage for the search strategies that follow. As Strauss points out, the history of adoption is neither simple nor consistent, and the nature of adoption today is very different from what it was when present adoption laws were enacted. The more a searcher understands the nature of adoption practices and laws, she says, the more likely his or her search is to succeed. Strauss interweaves the story of the search for her own birthparents with the strategies for finding birth relatives, and whether or not one agrees with the practice of adoptees or birthparents initiating searches for lost relatives, she tells that personal story compellingly. Thus, Strauss’s effort offers considerable insight into the motivations of a particular adoptee as it encourages and counsels others wishing to undertake such a search themselves. — Mike Tribby

Blue Book 2000, The: The Adoption Re-Connection Directory, Search & Support Referral Source. C Curry Wolf, editor. Annual (9th edition, 2000). 91p (unnumbered; spiral-bound). C Curry Wolf. [Available from the publisher: C Curry Wolf, P.O. Box 230643, Encinitas, CA 92023-0643. $18 within the U.S.; $23 to Canada; $29 to Australia & New Zealand; and $28 to Europe. All payments via U.S. funds]. This annual directory is one of the more comprehensive collections of names and addresses of groups and individuals who offer assistance and/or support to the searching adoptee or birth parent.

Confessions of a Lost Mother. Elisa M Barton, ed. 1996. 200p. EM Barton. The question came in the form of an e-mail message from a young adoptee. It was the first time that Elisa Barton had been asked this question in the 19 years since she had relinquished her newborn son for adoption. Encouraged by this and other questions which had been asked and answered via online communication, Ms. Barton soon decided to write of her experiences and the experiences of others: experiences chronicled in electronic postings the various adoption forums of the Internet. Ms. Barton’s book is an extrordinary exploration of adoption: its text emerges not from the pens of “experts” but from the hearts, minds, and keyboards of members of the adoption triad. While not everyone will agree with Ms. Barton’s conclusions regarding adoption, one cannot come away from reading this book without having his or her own assumptions about adoption practice challenged.

Faint Trails: An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Adult Adoptee-Birth Parent Reunification Searches. Hal Aigner. 1987. 97p. Paradigm Press. The techniques employed in adoptee-birth parent reunification searches are those of the private detective, with particular emphasis on researching public records, including vital statistics indexes, court documents, professional association membership directories and numerous other sources of the personal details needed to ascertain an individual’s identify or location. Faint Trails summarizes the ways and means of search activity, focusing on the more frequently taken opportunities for public-records research abounding in general and genealogical libraries, as well as federal, state and county/municipal archives.

Finding My Family: Adoption Search & Reunion. Mardie Caldwell. 2008. Audio CD. American Carriage House. Finding a missing person, whether it’s an old friend or a birth parent, may be easier than you think. Get advice on how to perform a missing persons search. Gain clarity on the types of missing persons and the types of searches, learn how to start and conduct a search, information about how to find the public records you seek, information for adoptees who would like to find their birth parents, and learn how to find a reputable Private Investigator.

Finding Your Roots: How Every American Can Trace His Ancestors—At Home & Abroad. Jeane Eddy Westin. 1977. 243p. JP Tarcher. The classic book on researching your family’s history. In your attic, on-line, and in libraries. Now more than ever, discovering your roots is as easy as doing basic homework, speaking to relatives, and logging onto the Internet. Your key to finding the most reliable databases and archives on the Internet, including resources for Native American, Latin American, and African-American families. Includes information on how to start building your family tree, and easy instructions for tracing your roots to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Full of simple techniques to save you time and money in constructing a family tree. It will lguide you along a path of discovery as yoU learn about your ancestors, and help you create a priceless, living document of family history for the generations to come. [Pictured: 1982 paperback edition]

Get the Facts on Anyone. Dennis King. 1991. 216p. Prentice-Hall; 1999. 3rd edition. 329p. Macmillan. Looking for a long-lost friend? Perhaps siblings separated at early ages? Or what if you’d like to know more about a prospective tenant or employee? Get the Facts on Anyone can help. Investigative reporter Dennis King will teach you how to unearth useful data about your subject. King packs a lot of information into the chapters, covering everything from basic research techniques and the use of readily available resources to details on how to detect "paper trippers" with false identities. You’ll also learn how to find "missing" people and how to get background information on others through a wide range of sources: newspapers, court records, military records, and "special methods" including license-plate surveillance and garbage analysis. Some of King’s advice seems a bit paranoid (he advises "backgrounding" dates, lovers, and spouses), but much of it is valuable: Knowing the details of your lawyer’s or physician’s professional past would certainly help grant peace of mind. A great bibliography and lists of databases point you to additional sources for in-depth searches. This book would be a useful reference to employers, landlords, and anyone engaged in genealogical research. Journalists and other detail-oriented researchers will find it invaluable. Get the Facts on Anyone will teach you how to follow leads, paper trails, and your own instinct to find the information you desire. — C.B. Delaney

Great Adoptee Search Book, The. Jean A.S. Strauss. 1990. 88p. Castle Rock Publishing. Out-of-print today, with rare copies sometimes showing up on Ebay, The Great Adoptee Search Book was Strauss’s first book. It began when her reunion with her birth family was covered by People magazine. Adoptees from across the country began to call, asking how to do a search. Describing how she’d found her birth relatives took hours, so she decided to commit a few pages to explaining the process. The few pages grew to almost a hundred, and so the little search book (with the big title) was born. Her subsequent search and reunion book, Birthright, was born directly from The Great Adoptee Search Book. An agent in Boston saw the thin tome, and contacted Strauss about doing a proposal, which was eventually purchased by Penguin Books. “One of the most amazing things about that first book,” Strauss recalls, “is when people would call me to let me know they’d read a few pages, tried a few of the suggestions, and found their birth family. One person had met their birth mother within four hours of buying my book. To think of having that kind of an impact on someone’s life was rather awesome.” And the footprint on the cover? “My oldest son was one when he got to be in People magazine because of the reunion. So my youngest son got to have his footprint on the cover of the book.” Visit the author’s website.

Half Way Home!: Contact & Reunion Guidelines for Families Separated by Adoption. Lynn-Claire Davis. 1995. 132p. Gabrielle Books. The emotional and psychological roller coaster of contact and reunion—and all of the what-ifs—need be mysteries no more! For the first time ever in any book, more than 33 key issues involved in making contact and preparing for reunion are defined. For decades, contact and reunion have been “unchartered waters” for adoptees and birth families searching for one another. Most triads have no idea what awaits them in making contact. Now, Half Way Home! fills that information void. A book that poses the questions and provides the answers triads want with explanations, choices, warnings, sample letters and dialogue. Scores of examples from the most common and exceptional case histories help to emphasize and make real what other triads have experienced. — From the Back Cover

How to Find Almost Anyone, Anywhere. Norma M Tillman. 1998. 320p. (revised and updated edition). Rutledge Hill Press. In How to Find Almost Anyone, Anywhere, Norma Tillman described the methods she used to find more than 1,000 people without breaking the law. In this expanded and updated edition, she provides the latest information and resources for finding people, including complete instructions on using the Internet. This new edition also contains updated information on adoption laws, support group addresses, and details on military searches. The book not only describes the techniques and skills that Norma herself has taught to attorneys, police officers, and private investigators nationwide, but also includes entertaining and often humorous stories of real people’s searches, like the woman who discovered that the “single” airline pilot she was dating actually had three wives and nine children! There are millions of people searching for someone, somewhere. Whether it is for long-lost relatives, a college roommate, or dead-beat dads, How to Find Almost Anyone, Anywhere is the perfect and most up-to-date guide to legal means of following the paper trail that people leave behind. Norma Tillman has reunited families, found debtors, and located old friends. Her techniques are proven to be effective and are spelled out in this book that has already changed lives. By the same author: Adoption Searcher’s Handbook: A Guidebook for Adoptees, Birth Parents & Others Involved in the Adoption Search and Secrets for Successful Searching: How to Locate Information & Find Almost Anyone.

How to Find Your Past: A Search Handbook for Adoptees. Carol Anne Gray. 1979. 65p. [Available from Pamphlet Publications, P.O. Box 41372A, Cincinnati, OH 45241; (513) 563-9502.] The desire to know more about one’s heritage is being increasingly fulfilled by more and more adoptees who are seeking and finding their birth families. This booklet will help the adoptee in his search. It is especially for the reader who does not think it is possible to do this, or does not know where to begin. — From the Introduction

1990 Edition

How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has Been in the Military: A Guide To Locating Present, Former and Retired Members of the Armed Forces, Reserves and National Guard. Lt. Col. Richard Johnson. 1988. 50p. Military Info Enterprises. Contents Include: Directory of Base/Post Locators; Directory of Armed Forces World Wide Locators; Directory Of Military, Patriotic and Veterans Organizations; Directory Of Military Unit Reunion Associations; and Directory Of Veterans Bulletin Board Locators.
Here is some of the information covered in this unique book: How to obtain the unit of assignment, home address and telephone number of any member of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps; Air Force, Coast Guard, the Reserve Components and National Guard.
How to have a letter forwarded to a current, former or retired member of the Armed Forces, Reserves or National Guard.
How to collect a debt or delinquent child support from a service member.
How to have a letter forwarded to any of 27 million veterans.
How td get an active duty service member home in the event of a family emergency or death.
How to locate people through the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Post Office and other state and federal agencies.
How to obtain copies of official military records of current, forma* or deceased military members.
How to locate people through their driver’s license or vehicle registration.
How to locate someone who works for Civil Service.
How to find out if a military unit is having a reunion.
How to obtain a copy of a military unit’s or ship’s roster of names and service numbers.
How to locate former service men and women through veterans and military associations.
How to find out someone’s address & telephone number.
And many other ways to locate hard to find people even without their Social Security Number. ISBN 187763901X

How to Start (or Expand) a Support Group. Jone Carlson. [Adopt Ed Resources]. Includes More than 30 headings with guidelines and detailed alternatives for starting or expanding a successful group. About the Author: Jone Carlson is a former magazine editor and the author of several books, with three more in the works. She has pioneered research in adoption, been a speaker at 48 adoption conferences in the U.S. and Canada, and was invited to the White House as an advisor on adoption to President and Mrs. Clinton. Jone is a widow with five children and eight grandchildren. She has Bachelor’s degrees in English, Criminal Justice and Business Administration and her Master’s in Psychology. Jone resides in Palm Bay, FL. — Raider Reflections, St, Thomas Aquinas High School Alumni & Friends Magazine, Summer 2003

How to Trace Your Missing Ancestors Whether Living, Dead, or Adopted. Janet Reakes. 1986. 92p. Hale & Iremonger (Australia).

In Search of Your Canadian Roots. Agnus Baxter. 1994. 350p. Genealogy Pub.

Instant National Locator Guide, The. Fay Faron. 1993. 2nd ed. 368p. Creighton-Morgan.

International Vital Records Handbook. Thomas Jay Kemp. 417p. Genealogical Publ Co.

ISC Searchbook, The. Helen Gallagher, Nancy Sitterly & Pat Sanders. 1992. 40p. ISC Pubns.

Lifeline: The Action Guide to Adoption Search. Virgil L Klunder. 1991. 384p. Caradium Publications. Author Virgil Klunder joined with over 60 of the nation’s leading adoption experts in a joint, two-year project to complete a single, reference volume for any family touched by adoption. It includes: Over 400 pages of the latest search techniques, over 60 sample letters, and documents covering all 50 states and 14 countries! Over 1,000 names, addresses, and telephone numbers of organizations that help searchers. Detailed 21-point directory of search resources for every state: including all current laws, records information, and personalized search advice from experts!

Locator, The. Steven Jay Weisz. 2005. 500p. (CD). Caradium Publishing. Searching for anyone from your past? The Locator is a step-by-step manual on how to search and find almost anyone. Written by Private Investigators and updated every year, this search tool has already helped thousands of people find who they are looking for.

Lost & Found: The Guide to Finding Family, Friends, & Loved Ones. Troy Dunn. 2003. 74p. MyFamily.com, Inc. If you are among the millions of people who are looking for someone from your past, you are about to embark on an exciting journey. Perhaps your search is one of the “big five” most common search categories—adoptee, birth parent, lost love, old friend, or military buddy. Or you may be searching for a past co-worker, former neighbor, childhood friend. This book contains the strategies and information you will need to complete your search as quickly and simply as possible. About the Author: Troy Dunn pioneered his system of locating lost family and friends back in 1990 while trying to assist his own family in locating biological relatives. Shortly thereafter, at the age of twenty-three, Dunn founded an organization whose sole purpose was to patch the world back together, one family at a time. This organization eventually reached across all fifty states and thirty-two countries, and today is responsible for reuniting thousands of families worldwide. Dunn has been featured hundreds of times on national television where he reunites people in front of millions of viewers. This national exposure got the attention of the executives at MyFamily.com, Inc. and, in the fall of 2002, Dunn and his organization joined the team at MyFamily.com as the in-house search and reunion experts. Dunn continues to be seen by millions of television viewers as he makes reunion dreams come true. Dunn resides in Florida with his wife of fifteen years (high school sweetheart) and their six children.

Missing Pieces: How to Find Birth Parents & Adopted Children: A Search & Reunion Guidebook. Paul Drake & Beth Sherrill. 2004. 280p. Heritage Books, Inc. Something had been missing in Mary Elizabeth’s life. For many years, fear had kept her from seeking answers to questions she had carried with her over a lifetime. Accompany her on the phenomenal, rewarding and life-changing journey when she undertook to find her birth parents. Missing Pieces will inspire you and will help you change the way you think of yourself as a member of the adoption triad, as well as de-mystify and simplify the process of search and reunion. You too, may learn the secrets Mary Elizabeth and others like her, who have embarked upon a similar journey, have discovered. Beth Sherrill was the only one of six sisters and brothers given over to the adoption system. With the help of Paul, the co-author, she found her birth parents. Beth has her bachelor’s degree in Human Services, worked as a counselor within that field for five years, and now owns and operates her own business. With her husband of twenty-one years, she is raising their four children in their small town in Tennessee.

Red Tape Cutter’s Handbook, The: A Working Tool for Dealing With Bureaucracies. Carol Lea Clark. 1982. 320p. Facts on File, Inc.

Reg Niles Searchbook for Adult Adoptees, The. Reg Niles. 1978. 99p. Phileas Deigh Corp. Reg Niles was an amateur genealogist who, in response to an advertisement in The New York Times, met an adoptee who ultimately introduced him to Florence Fisher, the founder of ALMA (Adoptees Liberty Movement Association), not long after he had read the story of her search in The Search for Anna Fisher. According to the Preface, “Before long, I was enlisted as a volunteer ... and became thoroughly addicted to the adoptees’ rights movement. ... I was asked to begin registering the dates of births of adoptees in the hope that natural parents and adoptees could be reunited .... This compilation grew ... into ... the ALMA International Reunion Registry.” The book is divided into three sections: “Questions & Answers (which explore the adoptee’s situation and his search for his natural parents)”; “State-By-State List of Sources of Information (including Canadian Provinces & Selected Foreign Countries)”; and “List of National Organizations & Agencies”; as well as a Bibliography.

Reunited: True Stories of Long-Lost Siblings Who Find Each Other Again. Carolyn Campbell. 2002. 352p. Berkley. From BigHugs.com, the most successful search organization in America, comes three touching true stories of long-lost siblings divided by time and circumstance—and reunited by determination and love.

Search: A Handbook for Adoptees & Birthparents. Jayne Askin with Bob Oskam. 1982. 313p. Harper & Row. Search was among the first books to offer practical advice and techniques to adoptees who wanted to locate their birth family. It has been recently reissued in a second, revised edition.

Search Aftermath & Adjustments. Pat Sanders & Nancy Sitterly. 1981. ISC Publications. Within the past decade, books concerning adoption have surfaced in ever increasing numbers. Many of these are, of course, geared toward infant placement and the rearing of children not born into the family. At long last, other crucial subjects are being investigated and the facts made public. We are beginning to deal with the lifelong process of adoption and its effects on adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents. ... This book is written for those who searched and for those who di not search—for the seekers and the sought For when they meet begins the period of Search Aftermath and Adjustments. — From the Introduction

Search Consultant’s Handbook, The. Pat Sanders. 1983. 32p. ISC Pubns.

Search For Paul David, The. Pauline A Evans. 1994. 246p. NW Pub. Includes search tips and search resources. Highlights strategies and obstacles in obtaining hospital, adoption, and birth records. Relates perspectives of other searchers, as well as their trials and triumphs in seeking lost kin. Shares experiences regarding the employment of a professional searcher, the use of an intermediary, the value of a support group, the reactions of family members, and the reactions of found adoptees. highlights author’s reunion with 23-year-old son. Is adoption “The Solution” for unmarried mothers who refuse abortion? Is continuation of pregnancy a crime, punishable by the signing of relinquishment papers? Discusses loss, grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, and birth mother trauma syndrome. Cites research. Sheds light on professional ethics and adoption. Compares the effects of closed-adoption secrecy to the effects of forced silence surrounding incest. Reflects on whether it is moral for adoption agencies (and others) to abort an unwanted biological mother. Points out the present realities of both closed adoption and open adoption. Presents careful research and appendices, including useful bibliography and resources.

Searching for a Past: The Adopted Adult’s Unique Process of Finding Identity. Jayne E Schooler. 1995. 199p. Piñon Press. From the Back Cover: The movement of adopted adults to search for their birth families is strong and growing in the United States today. If you’re an adult who was adopted as a child and are now considering searching for your birth family, Searching for a Past will help prepare you emotionally and psychologically both for your search and what you find. Drawing from the experiences of dozens adult adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents, Searching for a Past will show you how adoption has affected other adopted persons, what motivated them to search for a birth family connection,, what they found, and how they handled their discovery. A thorough and helpful guide for any adopted adult, Searching for a Past is also en essential resource for adoptive parents, spouses of adoptees, adoption counselors and agencies, ministers and care group leaders, and anyone desiring a better understanding of the search and reunion experience. By the Same Author: Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child, with Betsy Keefer (2000); Journeys After Adoption: Understanding Lifelong Issues, with Betsie L. Norris (2002); and Mom, Dad... I’m Pregnant: When Your Daughter or Son Faces an Unplanned Pregnancy (2004).

Searching for a Piece of My Soul: How to Find a Missing Family Member or Loved One. Tammy Kling. 1997. NTC Contemporary. Deciding to look for a long-lost family member or loved one is a difficult decision. In fact, due to fear, uncertainty, or simply a lack of information, the majority of people looking for someone wait years before beginning a search. Searching for a Piece of My Soul is the first book to guide the reader through both the emotional and the practical process of locating a child placed for adoption or a birth parent. Included are personal search experiences (including the author’s), advice from psychologists who specialize in counseling those on both sides of the search, and, of course, factual information about how to search.

Searching in California. Pat Sanders. 1982. ISC Publications. Searching in California is a complete and convenient guide to California records. It includes the names and addresses of all important record sources in the state, as well as abundant and practical hints on tracing people. Through use of this extensive resource book, both amateur and professional searchers will learn what types of records are available, where they are located, who may obtain access, what information they contain, and how they can be utilized to locate people. Searching in California is the first in a series of state search books published by Independent Search Consultants, Inc., the only professional association of search consultants in the United States. About the Author: Patricia Sanders, the founder and Executive Director of ISC, Inc., has been involved in the national adoption movement for nearly a decade and is a nationally recognized authority on search techniques. She is also the co-author with Nancy Sitterly of Search Aftermath and Adjustments.

Searching in Florida: A Reference Guide to Public & Private Records. Diane C Robie. 1982. 133p. ISC Publications. Searching in Florida is a complete and convenient guide to Florida records. It includes the names and addresses of all important record sources in the state, as well as abundant and practical hints on tracing people. Through use of this extensive resource book, both amateur and professional searchers will learn what types of records are available, where they are located, who may obtain access, what information they contain, and how they can be utilized to locate people. Searching in Florida is the second in a series of state search books published by Independent Search Consultants, Inc., the only professional association of search consultants in the United States. About the Author: Diane C. Robie is the Co-Director of Adoption Consultants, Inc., developed the first course in “Parenting the Adopted Child” in the state of Florida, and co-author of Open Adoption and Open Placement.

Searching in Germany, Austria & Switzerland. Leonie D Boehmer, ISC. 2000. 16p. Includes appendices of forms, sample letters and documents. Spiral binding. Leonie D Boehmer. In the years following the Second World War, literally thousands of German children, most of whom were born out of wedlock and whose fathers were American servicemen, were put up for adoption and adopted by Americans. This practice of adopting-out German children to foreign couples stopped in the 1970s, but the legacy remains: thousands of German-born American adoptees who, like their domestically born counterparts, have the need to find their roots. Although adoption records in Germany were opened to 16-year-old or older adoptees in 1977, the cultural and other differences between the United States and Germany present a significant hindrance to searching in Germany (or the other German-speaking countries). This guidebook provides information and guidance to allow the searching German-born adoptee to conduct the search on his or her own. Also included is a “Brief History of Adoption in Germany” and an article about acquiring dual citizenship by William L. Gage. Available from the author for $15.00, including S&H: 9419 MacAllan Road N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87109. [Also Visit the Yahoo! Group for German-Born Adoptees: Geborener Deutscher]

Searching in Illinois: A Reference Guide to Public & Private Records. Gayle Beckstead & Mary Lou Kozub. 1984. 210p. ISC Publications. Searching in Illinois is a complete and convenient guide to Illinois records. It includes the names and addresses of all important record sources in the state, as well as abundant and practical hints on tracing people. Through use of this extensive resource book, both amateur and professional searchers will learn what types of records are available, where they are located, who may obtain access, what information they contain, and how they can be utilized to locate people. Searching in Illinois is the third in a series of state search books published by Independent Search Consultants, Inc., the only professional association of search consultants in the United States. About the Authors: Both Gayle Beckstead and Mary Lou Kozub Independent Search Consultants and genealogists. Ms. Beckstead founded and is director of Adoption Reality in southern California; Mrs. Kozub is is co-founder and Assistant Director of Adoptees’, Birthparents’ Association. Both are former residents of Illinois.

Searching in Indiana: A Reference Guide to Public & Private Records. Mickey Dimon Carty. 1985. 275p. ISC Publications. Searching in California is a complete and convenient guide to Inidana records. It includes the names and addresses of all important record sources in the state, as well as abundant and practical hints on tracing people. Through use of this extensive resource book, both amateur and professional searchers will learn what types of records are available, where they are located, who may obtain access, what information they contain, and how they can be utilized to locate people. Searching in California is the fourth in a series of state search books published by Independent Search Consultants, Inc., the only professional association of search consultants in the United States. About the Author: Mickey Dimon Carty is the founder and Director of Adoptee’s Family Circle in Richmond, IN; an Independent Search Consultant; a genealogist; and adoption researcher.

Searching in New York. Kate Burke. 1987. 270p. ISC Publications. Searching in New York is a complete and convenient guide to New York records. It includes the names and addresses of all important record sources in the state, as well as abundant and practical hints on tracing people. Through use of this extensive resource book, both amateur and professional searchers will learn what types of records are available, where they are located, who may obtain access, what information they contain, and how they can be utilized to locate people. Searching in New York is the fifth in a series of state search books published by Independent Search Consultants, Inc., the only professional association of search consultants in the United States. About the Author: Kate Burke is the current Director of Region IX of the American Adoption Congress. She has been active in the national adoption reform movement for ten years and is an ISC National Search Consultant.

Secrets for Successful Searching: How to Locate Information & Find Almost Anyone. Norma M Tillman. 1992. UFO. By the same author: Adoption Searcher’s Handbook: A Guidebook for Adoptees, Birth Parents & Others Involved in the Adoption Search and How to Find Almost Anyone, Anywhere.

Synchronicity & Reunion: The Genetic Connection of Adoptees & Birth Parents. LaVonne Stiffler. 1992. 189p. LH Stiffler. After search and reunion, adoptees and birthparents begin to piece together the long years of separation and seek explanations for uncanny coincidental behavior and meaningful information transfer that occurred when normal sensory contact was absent. Anecdotes of synchronicity from 70 reunited families fall into categories of: names, places, dates, timing of search activity and major life events, dreams and intuition, pre- and perinatal memory, occupation, religiosity, preferences, and idiosyncrasies. The information is similar to that coming from research with twins reared apart, but obviously not with the same degree of one-to-one identical matching. Inddependent of the type (or lack) of ensuing relationship, significance is frequently expressed by the participants as evidence of an undeniable genetic connection, a motivation for personal growth and identity resolution, and God’s involvement in a reunion that was thought impossible. A cathexis or unspoken emotional investment in the separated persons may serve to strengthen the likelihood of synchronicity in their lives. An 11-page bibliography is included.

Together Again: True Stories of Birth Parents & Adopted Children Reunited. Carolyn Campbell. 1999. 352p. Berkley Pub Group. These touching true stories from the largest and most successful search organization in America (International Locator, Inc.) bring us into the struggles and conflicts of birth parents and adopted chidren searching each other out—and into their triumph as their faith, love, and determination bring them together again. From Patsy, who unravels the mystery of why her birth mother gave up a two-year-old child, to Merrilin, who rediscovers the family she surrendered in order to stop a cycle of abuse, this touching book is an unforgettable look at the joy of reunion.

U.S.A. Search Resources Directory, The. Jone Carlson. AAC.

2000 Edition

Ultimate Search Book: Worldwide Adoption & Vital Records. Lori Carangelo. Originally published by Heritage Quest and Access Press. This [annually updated] book lists both governmental and private resources available for a fee or free, in every state in the U.S. and in 200 countries, for legally accessing information and records for several types of searches. It includes “insider” secrets for locating adoptees, birth relatives, and stolen children whose identities have been “sealed” in court files, or changed by abductors. ... The Ultimate Search Book also chronicles five decades of American and world history in which citizens who were adopted or who relinquished children for adoption, or whose children were stolen, had their rights and identities stolen and redefined under secrecy laws. — From the Preface of the 1998 edition

What Now?: Coping with Search, Contact & Reunion. Mary Jo Rillera. 1981. 32p. Triadoption Publications/Pure CA. This slim volume attempts to answer the basic questions relating to adoption reunification searches: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? by reviewing the results of a survey of adoptees and birth parents who searched.

Why Won’t My Birthmother Meet Me?. C Anderson. 1982. 10p. CUB.

Years of Shared Experience. Adoption Forum of Philadelphia. [Adopt Ed Resources].

You Can Find Anyone! A Complete Guide on How to Locate Missing Persons. Eugene Ferraro. 1985. 140p. Marathon Press. A general guide that provides insight into private investigative methods.

You, Too, Can Find Anybody: A Reference Manual. Joseph J Culligan. 1993. 224p. Hallmark Press. Licensed private investigator Culligan has prepared a directory that tells how to locate anyone, anywhere through driver’s license records, car/boat registration, birth, death, marriage, and divorce records, armed forces records, and other sources.