Agency vs. Private Adoptions

One of the first questions you need to ask is whether the adoption was an agency adoption or a private adoption.

• Most adoptions take place through an agency. The adoption agency handles all the paperwork, and is the place where you should apply for non-identifying information.
  
• Some adoptions are private, handled through an attorney or other third party. Private adoptions can be difficult to search. You'll need to find out who facilitated the adoption (an attorney? a doctor?) and appeal to them directly for help. Private adoptions are also called gray-market, because there is frequently little oversight. Occasionally some private adoptions turn out to be black market (see Special Circumstances).
  

Some tips:

• Document everything! Who you talked to, when you talked to them, what was said, your gut reaction to the discussion. Make copies of all important paperwork and keep the originals somewhere safe (like a safe-deposit box).
  
• Enlist the help of search groups. Many offer assistance to their members. Tips from others can be invaluable.
• Even if the people you talk to say they don't remember or that the files were destroyed, ask them to recall anything they can. Try to prompt with specific questions: "I understand the adoption took place on this date. Can you tell me where it took place?"
  
• Don't forget, the Internet is a valuable tool. So is your local library. When asking for help, say "genealogical research" rather than adoption. You don't want someone else's prejudice to intrude upon the perfectly legal research you have a right to do.