VICTOR GROZA

Websites for Search and Support of adoptees placed as infants

There are many different web sites on the Internet that are about adoption. I set out to find websites for search and support for adoptees placed as infants. It would be nice if there were just one database to search, because then it may be easier to find one another faster, but there is not. To increase your chances of finding a lost loved one and receive supportive services it may be helpful to register on a few web sites at that offer search, reunion and supportive services.

Some websites cost money to register and to search for people. I picked ones that appear to be free with no hidden costs, and the sites that I think are in the top eleven. I would have done a top ten list, but I believe that all eleven sites were helpful. I also included two sites that I thought were interesting and helpful to those adoptees born in 1965 and 1969. The list of websites is below, the order is random and I provided a brief summary after each site.

Adopting.org
http://www.adopting.org/search.html
This is a very good website to search for lost loved one. It offers a free search registry and explains how to search whether an agency was involved in your adoption or not. Adoptees and birth parents are also able to chat, read about new issues dealing with adoption and review a calendar of events just for adoptees and birth parents. I found this site very easy to surf, explore and it was also extremely informative.

Adoptees Internet Mailing List Web Site
http://www.webreflection.com/aiml/whatisaiml.html
This site is not a search service. The website clearly explains that they will not perform a search for you, but it can be considered a useful tool if you are searching. It is an Internet mailing list where you can send e-mail to every member daily and receive e-mail from other members. This site encourages all types of discussion related to adoption, and it offers advice and guidelines for searching. It also provides a list of resources and chat rooms for support. I found this site to be informative and helpful to those who are searching.

Lost Connections
http://www.lostconnections.com/lostconnections/welcome/
This is another registry if you are searching for birth parents. They offer the ability to perform a search online and to place your picture in their photo gallery. The photo gallery appears to cost money, but the registry is free. Chat rooms are also offered for support and there is even a question and answer section. I found this site to be very interesting, because the Toronto Star, a newspaper, puts it out. It is promoted in the paper and on the Toronto Star Television, so they are reaching more than just people on the Internet. This is a very helpful and supportive site for people in the Greater Metro Toronto Area or if you are searching for someone in that area. If not, then it may not be helpful.

Adoptee Birthfamily Connections
http://www.birthfamily.com/adoptee.htm
This website offers search and support resources. It is extremely helpful and interesting. It has a ten page list of resources that if you click on a colored word will take you to the website. This is not a site that you can use to search, but if you are feeling lost and unsure about where to start this may be a good site to check out. They also offer e-mail accounts for its members.

Adoptee Search Center
http://www.adopteesearchcenter.org
This website claims to be one of the largest search registries around. They offer a registry that appears to be free, the ability to search, tips for searching and search services. They also publish a newsletter and offer links to other websites. What I found to be interesting was the state specific information and the information on current adoption issues.

Adoption Registry
http://www.adoptionregistry.com/
As the previous site claims to be one of the largest, this site claims to be the largest website dealing with reunions. This site offers the user the ability to search on the Internet and offers supportive services. It discusses how to get a hold of public records and has information on current adoption issues. I found the ability to browse online records interesting.

AdoptMe.com
http://www.adoptme.com/searching.htm
This is a compressive website that has a lot to offer. It has an adoption registry and even links to investigation agencies. There are also links to other adoption registries and supportive websites. It also provides the user with access to online databases, online white pages and search websites. I found the adoption message board and the family tree maker to be very informative.

Adoption Triad Outreach
http://www.adoptiontriad.org/netregistries.htm
This website is similar to the previous one in the fact that it offers a wide rang of services. It offers registry, searching, links to other websites, message boards, chat rooms, a newsletter and more. I found this website to be very interesting and I recommend that you check it out.

Canny Link Internet Guide
http://www.cannylink.com/familyadoption.htm
This website provides a list of online resources that you can be linked to. It also provides a brief description of each site. This is a very helpful site, because it lists all the major adoption websites from registries to supportive services. If you are unsure where to start, this may be the page for you.

The Seaker
http://www.the-seeker.com/relative.htm
Here is a website designed to find anyone from beneficiaries, high school pals, military veterans to birth families. This site allows the person to search for people through it, but does not offer much else. It is a good place if you are having some difficulty searching and have some information on your birth family. You can input the information into the site and it will tell you if it finds a match.

Adopt INFO
http://www.cyfc.umn.edu/adoptinfo/howtosearch.html
This is not a search website, but it is a compressive handbook on how to search. It is great for people getting started and unsure where or how to start the search. It provides a lot of helpful and useful information that you should be aware of.

New York Adoption 1969
http://www.home.nccoast.net/nyadoption/1969a.htm
I found this site to be very interesting for adoptees born on 1969 to put there information on a website in hopes of finding their birth parents. If you were born in 1969 you may want to consider registering with this site and putting your information here.

New York Adoption 1965
http://www.nccoast.net/nyadoption/1965a.htm
This site is very similar to the previous, but it is for adoptees born in 1965. Just as the previous it allows the adoptees to put their information on the site in hopes of finding their birth parents.