One of our most common requests here at Search Quest America comes from siblings who find out late in life that they have an sibling that was placed for adoption. Some people are shocked that they were not told about the adoption, but most are also excited at the possibility of finding their missing family member.

When you are in search of a sibling placed for adoption, the first thing you 'must' do is discover his or her date of birth and place of birth (city and state). Very few states have public resources that professionals can access to find birth record information.

If possible, ask your mother or father for the exact date of birth.

If your parents are deceased, turn to other family members for answers. Check in a family bible for a date of birth. If someone in your family is actively recording family genealogy, check with that relative to see if he or she has a record of your sibling's birth.

Sometimes your mother or father's old friends may remember the circumstances if they knew about the birth and adoption.

The one thing that 99% of adoptees know is their date, city and state of birth. In order to 'match' on any registry site, or even to start sending inquiries to adoption agencies or state agencies you are going to have to be sure of your siblings date of birth.

If you are positive of the state of birth of your sibling, check with the post adoption entity in that state to see if they have a sibling registry which allows siblings to register. You will need to fill out a form, and may also need to get it notarized. Include as much information on the form as you can, including both birth parents maiden and surnames as well as their dates of birth and the adoption agency used.

Good Luck in your Quest!

Susan E. Friel-Williams
The Staff at Search Quest America