ADOPTION RECORDS HANDBOOK

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." --Edward Everett Hale

"Never judge a book by it's cover" --Cary Grant in the 1947 movie "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer."

          Several years ago I became the webmaster and newsletter editor for a famous private investigator. Through the newsletter I met other famous as well as just plain old smart PIs nationwide. As a reunited birthmother, they soon learned of my passion for helping birth families locate each other and I learned many tips and methods of searching in the process. Then my boss gifted me with the domain name of AdoptionRecords.com and I saw an opportunity to share my years of personal and learned knowledge. I hope this book helps you in your search for the truth and gifts you with the closure and answers that are truly needed. If only one tip or clue in this book brings you those answers, then this book will have more than paid for itself.

Inside the covers of this ugly yellow book you will find:

• Five pages of free Search Angels
• 23 pages of imaginative and detailed search tips, ie: pet licenses, funeral home guest books
• Available court house records
• Forms for Waiver and Requests for Non-id info (same as website)
• Where to mail Waivers and Requests for Non-id info
• Search Letters examples
• Registries listings
• Online public records form generator
• Templates for Affidavit, Notice, Petition, & Order with state statutes
• And so much more

          The Adoption Records Handbook helps birth families search for their past and find peace of mind with step-by-step directions to lead the way down their path of discovery. ISBN 978-0-9743438-6-0

Now available. To order click on this link to Amazon.com or you can order it from your favorite bookstore under the ISBN number or ask your library to order a copy.

Reviews & YouTube Video

Midwest Book Review - Small Press Bookwatch "Reviewers Choice"

Teresa Brown is a retired paralegal, a reunited birthmother, the daughter of adoptive parents, and the sister to an adoptee. She draws upon her many years of personal experience and professional expertise to write a definitive instruction manual for those adoptees who seek to identify and locate their birth parents or their children given up for adoption in "Adoption Records Handbook: Birth Family Searches Made Easier With Self-Help, Tips, Registries, Search Angels, Pro Se Legal Forms, etc." A 133-page compendium of sound information, practical instructions, and real-world advice, "Birth Family Searches Made Easier" truly lives up to the promise of its title and should be considered an essential reference on how to obtain non-identifying information, locating a specific adoption court, providing both conventional and unconventional searches, petition the court to open sealed adoption records, finding where a birth child was placed, and accessing relevant public records. Simply stated, "Adoption Records Handbook" should be a part of the reference collections of every community library in the country. --Small Press Bookwatch Reviewers Choice

"It is estimated that one in ten Americans is adopted. At various points in their lives, these adoptees may decide to try to find information about their birth families, but the road to reunion is rough. Many adoption records are sealed, and it can be difficult to gain access to them. Even if records are obtained, birth families may have moved and birth mothers may have new married names. Deciding how to begin the search can be an overwhelming task in itself."

"As a search tool, this handbook is indispensable. Brown has experience on all sides of the adoption triad: her parents adopted her sister, and she herself is a "first mother" now reunited with her child. She is also a retired paralegal, giving her the background needed to help families navigate the legal hurdles involved in a search."

"Written in a straightforward manner, Brown's book is meant to help members of the adoption triad get the job done as inexpensively as possible. She gives step-by-step instructions for requesting an original birth certificate, including templates for the documents needed to file a Court Petition if normal channels do not work. Once a birth certificate is obtained, the information given on it is the basis for a search."

"There are many avenues open to searchers for gaining information. Brown addresses how to approach obvious channels, like the adoption agency or attorney who facilitated the adoption, as well as more obscure options, such as home security alarm registrations and pet licenses. Some are surprisingly simple; for example, one woman found her birth siblings by placing classified ads in the newspaper. Also included are tips for removing black marker from documents, advice on choosing a reputable private investigator, and a myriad of resource listings."

"The search for a birth family can be daunting, but Brown believes that no one should be denied the right to his birth information because it may inconvenience someone else. As she says, "Whether good or bad, let them find their answers." "--Foreword Magazine

"Teresa Brown demystifies the misinformation clouding adoptee birth family search and provides a clear path of easy to follow checklists and search tips to guide the adoptee through the maze of legal roadblocks and closed doors. The Adoption Records Handbook represents that long awaited light at the end of the darkened tunnel where hope and reality finally meet. An essential roadmap to a successful search" - Richard Fischer, Editor / Publisher of Adoption TODAY & Fostering Families TODAY Magazines.

"The Adoption Records Handbook by Teresa Brown is essential for anyone looking to find their birth family. Well written and clearly presented to help cut through the maze of stumbling blocks, this book is a must." - Joe Soll, LCSW, psychotherapist and author of Evil Exchange and Adoption Healing... a path to recovery.

"The Adoption Records Handbook is an important -- even invaluable -- resource for everyone setting out to solve the mystery of their past, so they can move on to a better-informed and less-secretive future." - Adam Pertman, Executive Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and author of Adoption Nation.