In the 25 years since, Dukeman, 48, has spent a lot of money and learned a

Read the full article at  The Denver Post Online

“The Colorado State Board of Human Services has approved a new rule in compliance with the recent Court of Appeals ruling which opened records to those whose adoptions were finalized between Julyl 1, 1951 and July 1, 1967. This means that, along with original birth certificates which are available through the Colorado Department of Publice Health and Environment (CDPHE), adoption records as defined by statute which are under the jurisdiction of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) are now available as well!   Here’s the wording of the new rule:

12 CCR 2509-4
CHILD WELFARE SERVICES 7.306.35 – Concl.

 7.306.35     Release of Information from Closed Records

Rev. eff. A. Pursuant to statute (SECTION 19-1-103(9), C.R.S.), the State Department or

3/1/03 the county department shall release directly or select licensed child placement agencies to release non-identifying background information from closed records to adoptees 21 eighteen (18) years of age and over or their legal representative or adoptive parents. The criteria for selecting such child placement agencies are outlined in Section 7.710.8.

B. Identifying information may be released from a closed adoption record only by court order, with the exception of item C. This includes identifying information, records, and papers (as defined in 19-1-103(6.5), C.R.S.) from adoptions occurring between July 2, 1967 and July 1, 1999, contained in the state department’s files.

C. records, as defined in Section 19-1-103(6.5) and (6.7), c.R.S., from adoptions that occurred in Colorado between July 1, 1951 and July 1, 1967, maintained at the State department shall be released only to the adult adoptee or legal representative from a closed adoption record. Reasonable fees shall be charged to the adoptee for the process and the copies made.

The exact process for obtaining these records may vary, depending on where they are housed. In theory, this rule should apply to all state and county agencies, licensed child placement agencies (whether open or closed), and maternity homes. However, each entity will likely respond to the rule based upon advice from their legal counsel. Some may decide to release records directly to those requesting them. Since the state currently contracts with a licensed child placement agency to provide non-identifying information to adoptees, it is likely that other organizations will fall under this contract. This means prices could vary from very reasonable up to $150 for the time involved for a third party to locate the file, sort through which documents fall under the rule and provide copies of those documents.

For those interested in requesting records through the courts, a new form is being developed by the State Court Administrator’s office which should make the process less confusing. Until now, people seeking records have modified the JDF 343 form, which was designed for the Confidential Intermediary process. This has resulted in misrouted requests and much wasted time and energy.

For more details, see the AIS/CTC website at www.aisctc.org. See the story on the top slideshow banner accompanied by the photo of a gavel. Also, click on our FAQ link for more detailed information about how to apply for records and who to contact.

Best wishes for a great holiday season and Happy New Year!

Rich Uhrlaub
AIS/CTC Co-coordinator”

Please be aware that you may still need the assistance of a company such as OmniTrace to find your birth family once you obtain your open Colorado records.  Names change, families move and much research may still be necessary to locate all of your birth family members. 

For assistance, call us at 1-888-965-6696 or email us at info@omnitrace.com

Currently, original New Jersey birth records are sealed when an adoption occurs.  Adoptees searching for their birth family cannot access their original names or their birth parent’s names.  Birth parents are also denied access to birth records. 

There is legislation in the works that will give adult adoptees and adoptive parents access to original birth records. 

Birth parents will have a 12 month period to file a request to redact their names and addresses from the birth records and then have 60 days to fill out a form with medical, ancestral and social history. 

Learn more details about legislation to open New Jersey birth records  here:  http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/

(Type s611 in the Bill Number field, click the search button and then click on the PDF Format or HTML Format Link)

Eight states currently have open birth records: 

1. Alaska
2. Oregon
3. Kansas
4. Alabama
5. New Hampshire
6. Delaware
7. Tennessee
8. Maine

Several states have partially open records:

• Colorado
• Iowa
• Indiana
• Massachusetts
• Ohio
• Montana
• Michigan
• Maryland
• New Jersey (Only very old birth records can be opened)

The debate to open New Jersey birth records has been ongoing for a number of years and full legislative approval has thus far been denied.  Religious groups, the Civil Liberties Union and anti-abortion groups are opposed to any changes. 

Hopefully some good news—There is bill, already passed in the Senate, now pending in the Assembly Human Services Committee, which may gain approval before mid-January.  The Governor would then have to sign it. 

Please write us at info@omnitrace.com or call us toll free at 1-888-965-6696 if you have any questons about legislation to unseal New Jersey birth records.

OmniTrace is involved with many wonderful reunions between adopted children and their biological parents.  Most go very well and are wonderful experiences for the reunited family members.

The following reunion (not one of our cases) has a truly startling twist.  Here’s a story shown on ABC News about an adoption that took place in New Jersey.  It involves a mix-up between two people who waited their entire lives to meet, and it is absolutely heartbreaking:

ABC News Story

It’s hard to know exactly where things went wrong.  It could have been at the hospital.  In that case, the hospital records were likely destroyed years ago and the mystery will never be solved.  Or, the mistake may have taken place at the New Jersey adoption agency– the son was one of six other children adopted around the same time and a mix-up might have occurred.

Unfortunately, those agency adoption records that might help to reveal the truth are currently sealed according to  New Jersey state law.  What ABC News failed to include in their story is that  New Jersey Adoption Records may soon be opened. 

A while back, we wrote that a Bill (S611) to open adoption records in New Jersey had been passed by the New Jersey Senate and was being considered for approval by the New Jersey Assembly.  If passed, an adoptee would have access to his/her original birth certificate as long as a no contact veto was not signed by the birth parents.

 Bill S611 has been in Committee (Assembly) since March 2008 and, to date, no schedule has been set for its review.  If and when Bill S611 is approved by the Committee, it will then go before the full Assembly and, if approved, then will be signed by the Governor. 

You can obtain a copy of the proposed bill here:  S611.  You can also call (609) 292-4840 for information. 

We’ll keep you posted on anything new we hear about this important legislation.  Hopefully, if and when the bill is passed, the father and son mentioned in the ABC News Story may possibly find the answers they seek.

Please leave a comment if you have any questions.  You can also call us toll free at:  1-888-965-6696. 

Troy The Locator has been reuniting birth family for over twenty years and is one of the most viewed shows on WE tv.  Millions of people have witnessed Troy The Locator conduct reunions between birth parents and adoptees.

A new episode of  Troy The Locator airs Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009,  9:00 PM Eastern Time and 8:00 PM Central. 

Here is what WE tv has to say about Troy The Locator:

Troy Dunn is a true phenomenon: From finding birth parents to organ donors, his brilliant investigative skills are a marvel to all who see him in action. His impressive track record for locating people means that he and his staff are routinely inundated with dozens of new cases to solve on a weekly basis.

But for one week each month, Troy devotes all of his staff and resources to one important case that they call the Angel Case. This Angel Case usually comes to Troy because there is an urgent need to find someone and because she has exhausted all other possible avenues. The Angel Case meeting begins with Troy’s staff presenting him with three to four potential cases and after a brief discussion, Troy decides which challenge he wants to take on. On his way out of the meeting, Troy assigns specific tasks to his staff members to streamline the search process.

Join Troy and his team on these emotional journeys, where everything from creative tactics to sheer luck provide breakthroughs in his quest to reunite loved ones and reconnect lives

Like Troy The Locator, OmniTrace -The Adoption Search Experts - reunites birth parents and adoptees all over the world.  We estimate that Dave Betz and his search team currently conduct more adoption related searches than any other company in the world.  We believe our success rate is unsurpassed by any other search firm!!!  

If you do not have the opportunity to reunite with your birth family via WE tv’s Troy The Locator, please contact us and one of our experienced and friendly search consultants - Sheila, Barbara, Sharla, Lisa, Michelle or Diane will provide you a FREE search consultation and answer any questions you have about your search.  You can call toll free at 1-888-965-6696 or email us at:  info@omnitrace.com.

We hope you enjoy this season’s episodes of We tv’s Troy The Locator.

Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google can be very helpful when conducting an adoption search.  Not only can you search these sites for listings your birth family members might have posted, you can also post your adoption search details on many of these sites.   

Here is a New York Daily News video and article on how Jonathan Frank conducted an adoption search and found his birth brother and birth sister with the help of Facebook.

Here is a CNN News Story on how a Pennsylvania woman used Google to resolve her adoption search and find her birth family. 

When OmniTrace begins a new adoption search, we utilize state-of-the-art databases, a worldwide network of researchers and private investigation methods to find birth family.  We also take advantage of the many free social media websites so we have every chance to successfully complete your adoption search.

If you are conducting an adoption search on your own, please be sure to visit the many social media sites that can assist you.  If you still need help with your adoption search, please email us at:

info@omnitrace.com

Or, call us NOW toll FREE at 1-888-965-6696.  One our search consultants, Sharla, Dianne, Lisa, Michele, Barbara or Sheila will provide you a free and friendly search consultation and answer any questions you might have about your adoption search. 

Requesting your adoption records in a closed adoption records state, while sometimes daunting, is definitely worth doing.  You may obtain:

• Non-Identifying Information (Redacted Adoption Records)
• Information On The State Reunion Registry
• Intermediary Program Details

Obtaining your non-identifying information (redacted adoption records) can be very helpful in finding your birth parents.  We have already written several posts covering non-id, but because this subject is so important, let’s review again (we’ll cover reunion registries and intermediary programs in our next post). 

Non-identifying information / redacted adoption records typically contains your birth family’s health history and background information.  Sometimes, it will even contain the first names of your birth family members.  If an adoption agency or a county court provide you with redacted adoption records,  you’ll likely receive your entire file, however, information such as names, addresses and telephone numbers will be blocked out (usually with a magic marker).  South Carolina is a good example of a state that will supply you with redacted adoption records.   

More often, a social worker or court clerk will prepare your non-identifying information.  They will rewrite part or all of your adoption records but removes stuff like names, addresses and phone numbers. 

Having your Non-identifying information / redacted adoption records will not typically be enough to locate your birth parents.  However, later in your search, when you develop the names of your birth family, it can help you verify you have the correct family members and enable you to track them down. 

Depending on the state or agency holding your adoption records, there will generally be a charge for your non-identifying information.  Agencies sometimes charge as much as $150.00 for non-id /redacted adoption records.  It might take a few weeks to several months to receive your records.

To elaborate a bit further, non-id / redacted adoption records usually provides the ages and physical descriptions of the birth parents.  It will also list their occupations at the time of the relinquishment, their educational background and various other important details.  Family history of the extended family members is included as well.  Sometimes your redacted adoption records will include the reason you were relinquished.  Although non-id is usually accurate, it is not completely factual.  We have found on many occasions that the age listed for the birth mother is much younger than she really is (16 years old is very common).  A social worker or court clerk generally compiles, summarizes and redacts the adoption records and many details are subject to interpretation. 

When requesting non-identifying information / redacted adoption records, you should place a letter or waiver in your file asking for contact.  Most adoptees are not aware that they can place photos, waivers or letters in their file. 

Please write or call us for more information on obtaining your non-identifying information / redacted adoption records:

info@omnitrace.com
1-888-965-6696

(Special thanks to Joan of nyadoptees who notified us about Colorado Open Adoption Records.)

Great news for those adopted in Colorado who are searching for their birth parents.  Persons adopted in Colorado will soon have access to their original birth records, as long as their adoption was finalized between July 1, 1951 and June 30, 1967.

OmniTrace contacted the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to confirm that Colorado open adoption records will soon be available.  They have informed us that forms will be available to request original birth certificates on June 29, 2009.

In addition, Richard Uhrlaub, Co-Director of Adoptee in Search/Colorado’s Triad Connection,  has indicated that adoptees will be able to visit the county where their adoptions were finalized and obtain their unsealed adoption records.    

OmniTrace will post additional details, as we receive them, on exact procedures to obtain your original birth certificate and Colorado adoption records. 

Once you obtain your original birth certificate and adoption records, you will still have much work to do.  At this juncture, you will likely have your birth mother’s maiden name and some background history on your birth family.  Now you will need to determine current names and addresses of your family members via, Internet research, database research and genealogical research.   Then, you will need to discreetly make contact with your birth  family members.  (It is possible that your birth mother has never told anyone about your existence.)

Please contact OmniTrace to assist you with all aspects of your search for your birth family (in Colorado or elsewhere).  Call us toll free at:  1-888-965-6696 to discuss all your options.  You can also email us at info@omnitrace.com

First, visit free web resource www.zillow.com. 

1. At the top of the Zillow homepage, there is field where you can input your missing person ’s old address. 
2. After submitting your search, you will see a map of the neighborhood where your missing person once resided (you can view this map in street view, aerial view and hybrid view). 
3. The old address, that you submitted will appear, as well as tiny icons that represent homes surrounding the address you submitted. 
4. By clicking on the icons, you will obtain exact address information. 
5. Jot down the addresses surrounding your subject’s old address.  In particular, you will want the addresses on the left, on the right and directly across the street from the old address of your subject.

Then, visit free web resource www.whitepages.com. 

1. On the upper center of the home page, click on the “Reverse Lookup” tab and then in the form under the title “Reverse Address,” input the addresses you obtained at zillow.com. 
2. You will obtain the names and phone numbers of people who may have information about your missing person. 

The above search technique has an added benefit:  You can see a picture of each home in the neighborhood.  This allows you to approximately determine when the homes were built.  (No sense calling someone who has resided at an address for a short time when your missing person resided their many years ago.)

Call and interview these possible, prior neighbors who resided near your missing person’s old address.  They may be able to provide you the names of family members, church affiliations, employer information, the landlord of the property where the missing person resided, and much more. 

If you are searching for your birth mother, the above investigative trick can also help you obtain information about her–as long as you know her old address at the time you were born or adopted. 

Surprisingly, OmniTrace has many adoption related cases that includes the birth mother’s maiden name and an old address, and even when we begin a birth mother search without her name or old address, we may develop this information early on in our search.  Here’s an example:  

When we receive a search request from someone adopted in Oregon, we first help our client  obtain his or her original birth certificate (Oregon has open records).  The original certificate contains the birth mother’s maiden name (unless she was married at the time of birth) and the address where the birth mother was residing at the time of birth.

Once you have acquired a list of neighbors to interview, here a few things to remember:

• Confirm you are speaking with the correct persons listed in whitepages.com. 
• Be friendly and courteous and somewhat imploring.  You may want to represent yourself as a long lost friend or family member of the missing person.
• Make some small talk to loosen things up.
• Prepare the right questions.  Ask if they know the missing person; do they know where the missing person moved; who lived with the subject, who employed the subject, who in the neighborhood knew the subject best, etc.
• If asked how you got their phone number, say the truth:  you got their number from whitepages.com.

Recap:  If you have an old address of your missing person, interviewing prior neighbors can be a great people search resource. 

If you need additional search assistance, please leave a comment below, e-mail us at: info@omnitrace.com  or call us toll free at: 1-888-965-6696. And, please contact us if you have any questions about this post.

Accessing marriage records can be very helpful when conducting a birthmother  search.   In most instances, you are trying to develop your birthmother’s married name.    

(Of course, searching marriage records can help anyone who is searching and working with only a maiden name.) 

Marriage records may contain:

• Maiden and married name of birth mother
• Dates of birth of birthmother and groom
• Date of marriage
• Place of marriage
• Birth places of birthmother and groom
• Addresses of birthmother and groom
• Parents of birthmother
• Employment information
• Religious affiliations
• Previous marriages
• Divorce information
• Relatives of birthmother and groom
• Social Security Numbers (sometimes)
• Witness names

Please note:  Information obtained from marriage records will vary greatly from state to state (e.g., one state may have employment information listed on a marriage record and another state may not).

Unfortunately, there is no available way to search marriage records nationwide.  So, you will need to have an idea where your birthmother was married in order to have a chance at accessing her records.  One way to determine where your birthmother was married is to obtain your non-identifying information.  Non-identifying information is background information on your birthmother and possibly your birthfather.  This non-id will likely provide some geographical history.  Please read our post on how to obtain non-identifying information.    

Another way to determine if and where your birthmother was married is to question your adoptive family members and see what information they can provide about her.  Please read our post on how to obtain background information on your birthmother by interviewing your adoptive family members. 

If you only know where you were born or where your birthmother was from, your search for marriage records should begin in those areas.  If you have no luck, spread your search outward. 

Typically, the county clerk’s office is the source to contact for marriage records.  There will likely be an index that you can search–perhaps a bride and groom index.  Searching these indexes can be time consuming and the records are in all types of formats.  You can get specific search instructions by contacting the county clerk’s office.  Please read our post on contacting the count clerk’s office. 

If you cannot determine where your birthmother’s marriage records are via a county search, there are also many state indexes to marriages.  These indexes are abstracts of the full marriage records kept by the counties.    

State marriage indexes–typically created and maintained by their respective state health departments–are sometimes available online.  You can see if a particular state has an online marriage record index by visiting the state web site.  The typical url format for a state website is:   www. state. xx. us (where xx is the state abbreviation).  So, as an example, if you are searching in Virgina you would input: www.state.va.us.  (This doesn’t always work,   so you might have to google around a bit to find your state website of choice. 

Many state marriage record indexes are now available via proprietary database vendors.  The geographic availability and years of availability of these indexes vary greatly.  OmniTrace    pays fees to access these indexes.  Here is a list of states we can currently search:

Alabama – Alaska – California – Colorado – Connecticut – Florida – Georgia – Idaho – Illinois – Indiana – Iowa – Kentucky – Maine – Minnesota – Missouri – Nevada – North Carolina – Ohio – Oklahoma – Rhode Island – South Dakota – Tennessee – Texas – Utah – Vermont – Virginia – West Virginia – Wisconsin

If you need help accessing a state birth index, please leave a comment below, e-mail us at: info@omnitrace.com  or call us toll free at:  1-888-965-6696.  And, please contact us if you have any questions about this post.