Missing Pieces: How to Find Birth Parents and Adopted Children

Genealogists search for people all the time. Over time, the researches skills improve and knowledge of resources increases. Some become to experienced from their personal research, they take those skills, become certified professionals and help others find their ancestors. However, sometimes the search turns from the dead to the living. An especially delicate, and often tricky, form of living research is the search for the birth parents of an adopted child. The expertise and understanding needed to successfully uncover someone’s biological parents comes, as with any research, through time and effort. Missing Pieces: How to Find Birth Parents and Adopted Children — A Search and Reunion Guidebook, was written by Paul Drake and Beth Sherrill with the intent of improving the researcher’s odds and chances of a successful search.

The details of this book are based on Beth Sherrill’s own search to locate her birth parents. “It is a how-to for those who also would seek birth parents or children who have been adopted in the past.” The details come from a study of the law, from interviews with those who made the same journey, and the personal search experiences of the authors.

The authors note the laws of most states are written as to discourage biological family reunions for adoptions. However, the laws do not prohibit searchers or reunions. Learning how to navigate the process is part of what this book will teach the reader. However, even before any research is conducted this book examines an equally important question, should an investigation even take place. Searchers, either parents or children, have to examine the possible feelings and ramifications the other parties in the process may experience from any contact or reunions that result from the process.

The book refers to the adoption triad as the adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents. The book is intended to reach out to all three members of this group. There is information, and inspiration, within these pages to help all the members of the adoption triad to change the way one thinks of themselves and the others. Genealogists may also pick up a few tricks to assist their own ancestral research along the way.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: A New Way of Thinking

Chapter 2: A Starting Place

Chapter 3: Who’s to Blame?

Chapter 4: Why Search?

Chapter 5: Advice to Birth Parents

Chapter 6: Advice to Adoptive Parents

Chapter 7: Advice to Adoptees

Chapter 8: Needles in Haystacks

Chapter 9: More Detective Work

Chapter 10: Chrysalis

Chapter 11: Importance of Medical History

Conclusion

Index

About the Authors

Get a copy of Missing Pieces: How to Find Birth Parents and Adopted Children — A Search and Reunion Guidebook from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: HBD2534, Price: $26.95.