Before you start your search
If you are looking for your birth mother, birth father or birth relatives, here are some things you should think about, including how intensely emotional it will be.
Before you start
It is now widely recognised that adult adopted persons and birth parents have a right to information about each other. Research indicates that disclosure of information does not disrupt otherwise happy adoptive families – rather, it may promote greater understanding between the parties involved.
In the following pages you will find a summary of the most common perceptions, feelings and outcomes experienced by each party to an adoption during the information gathering and search process.
To be clear for all involved with the adoption, the terms birth parent or parents, adoptive parent or parents, and adopted person or persons will be used in this guide.