International Adoption — Search

What is involved in the search process?

The first step to initiating a search is to either:

1. complete the Request Assistance form. Once received, a social worker will contact you to discuss your interest.
   OR
2. directly contact one of our PASE Social Workers listed below.

It is important to understand from the start that you may not have success in locating the person you hope to find. It is also important to comprehend that if you are able to locate the individual, he or she may not be ready for contact with you. In addition, if you do exchange information or have a meeting, the individual you seek may be very different from the one you have imagined for so long. Before releasing any information to you, you will be required to send us a copy of your driver's license or birth certificate by mail, fax, or in person confirming your identification.

Review of your file

The social worker will review your file for the information you are seeking. Any information that was originally given to the adoptive parents, whether identifying in nature or not, will be given to you. In some international adoptions, birth parents' names appear on the child's original birth certificate and birth parents' release of parental rights.

Locating birth family

The ease of locating birth family in international adoption is dependent upon a number of factors. Each country varies tremendously regarding their willingness to assist adopted persons or their parents in locating birth families. Issues to consider include:

• Is the country open to adoptee/ birth family contact?
  Adoption continues to be secretive in many countries and governments may protect birth families from exposure by refusing to assist in searches. Countries like Russia, for example, will not assist in these searches due to the closed nature of adoption in that country. Korea, on the other hand, is open to assisting adopted persons with contact with birth family if the birth family is agreeable.
• Does the country have strict guidelines around who can search?
  Some countries have developed guidelines around search and have requirements such as the age an adopted person must be before a search is assisted. Often they require that the birth family has expressed an interest in contact and will not assist unless they have the permission of the birth family.

What if the government or my orphanage cannot help?

In many countries, there are people who will search for you, for a fee. We can share the names of individuals who will conduct your search for a fee, however, we cannot vouch for their reliability or likelihood of success.

How long will the search take?

It is very difficult to say how long this process can take. If you receive assistance from an in-country governmental or private agency and your birth family remains at the last known address, a search can take a few months. The reality, however, is that this is rarely the scenario. It has taken some searches years of slow progress to locate birth family and many remain unable to locate them.

What can WHFC do to help?

When we get a request for an international search for a birth family, we do the following:

• Use our "in-house" program resources to see if we have an in-country representative who might be of assistance. For example, we may be able to contact the orphanage in India where the child was adopted from and ask if they can help.
• We can share the names of private individuals who will conduct your search for a fee. Unfortunately, we cannot vouch for their reliability or likelihood of success.

If you do locate birth family

If you are able to locate the person you are seeking and can verify that they want contact with you, we can offer guidance and support as you proceed toward a meeting. You will have a number of options regarding your first contact. Wide Horizons recommends a gradual course of contact.

1. Write letters to introduce yourself
2. Exchange pictures
3. Share email
4. Speak by telephone
5. Have a face to face meeting

There is no absolute right or wrong way to make contact with birth family, but this journey should not be undertaken if you are not fully prepared for any outcome. In addition, the feelings of your birth family should be carefully considered. Again, in many countries, single parenthood or placing a child for adoption is viewed as shameful. It may be that your adoption plan was made in secrecy and that no one in your birth parents' current life knows about you.

If you cannot locate your birth family

If you have exhausted your resources and are unable to locate your birth family, you might consider writing them a letter and requesting that it be placed in your in-country adoption file. Perhaps some day in the future, your letter will be made known to someone in your birth family.

Fees

Wide Horizons For Children does not charge fees for a file search and release of non-identifying information. Instead, you may consider making a donation to one of our humanitarian aid funds.

Counseling and Support

Your Wide Horizons social worker will offer support and information to help you initiate your search. For some, this process is highly emotional and may raise feelings of fear, rejection, anger, worry, or other difficult emotions. Taking the time to discuss your desire to search with a counselor can be helpful. Your social worker can help you locate a nearby counselor and recommend other resources for support such as online groups of internationally adopted persons with a similar interest in searching for birth family.

Additional Information

If you would like to speak with a Post Adoption Counselor, or need additional information, please contact:

For adoptions from Africa
Lisa Lovett, MSW, LICSW
llovett@whfc.org
781.419.0358

For adoptions through HOLT Korea
Betsey Barrett, LICSW
bbarrett@whfc.org
781.419.0338

For adoptions from the Philippines
Nicole Fischenich, MSW, LICSW
nfischenich@whfc.org
334.356.0878

For all other international adoptions
Pat Hoopes, MSW, LICSW
phoopes@whfc.org
781.419.0378