Reunification

As an adoptee matures, curiosity about his or her birth parents may begin to stir. Perhaps an adoptee is diagnosed with a genetic disorder or maybe he or she has always wondered about the origin of other things that make them unique from their adoptive family. It's natural to question these things, and it's natural for birth parents to wonder about the child they placed with a family. In fact, it's very common for birth parents to think about the child at times when he or she may be passing developmental milestones in education or in their personal life, such as getting married.

Search and reunion can be done through the state that an adoption took place by registering with the state registry. In most states, the registries work by mutual consent and require both adoption parties to register before an adoption record is opened and either party is contacted. After a certain amount of time, if the state registry proves unfruitful, a confidential intermediary can be court ordered to access the record and facilitate communication.

Other forms of searching include contacting the agency or attorney and asking for information about an adoption. Or, a searcher can use an online registry, on which he or she can search for other registered users that match the description of the person he or she is looking for.