What if I want to search but don’t feel ready to take the emotional risk of rejection?
1) Request the non-identifying information from your adoption record, which will hopefully aid you in understanding your adoption story and perhaps provide some medical/social family history. 2) Consider a mutual consent reunion registry. These registries are free and voluntary. If your birth relatives have registered, the registry will match your information and connect you. International Soundex Reunion Registry is often recommended. www.isrr.net or call 775-882-7755 If you were adopted in Virginia, Maryland or Washington, D.C., try the Metro Reunion Registry. www.MetroReunionRegistry.org 3) Educate yourself about the issues of search and reunion. American Adoption Congress (AAC) has an extensive bibliography and organizational links. National Adoption Information Clearinghouse has excellent articles on search issues. http://naic.acf.hhs.gov 4) Join a support group. 5) Consider individual counseling.
