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Adoption Records FAQ | Search FAQ | Family Medical History FAQ | Citizenship FAQ
Vietnamese Adoptees and Birth Parents FAQ | Korean Adoptees and Birth Parents FAQ
Chinese Adoptees and Birth Parents FAQs | Confidential Intermediary Services FAQs
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How old do I have to be to search for my birth family?
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You must be 18 or older. Because Holt’s headquarters are in Oregon, Oregon law governs all of Holt’s adoptees. Oregon Statutes 109.425 & 109.455 require an adoptee to be 18 or older to initiate a search.
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How long does a search for a birth parent take?
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While everyone’s situation is different, the following statistics may give you some help. During 2002, searches by Holt’s overseas partners for birth parents, whether they were successful or not, averaged 78 days. The shortest search was completed in 9 days; the longest, 221 days. During 2004, searches by Holt’s overseas partners for birth parents averaged 82 days. The shortest search was completed in 7 days; the longest, 321 days. In 2004, 72% of adoptees waited three months or less for the results of their request for a search.
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How many of the searches for birth parents are successful?
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In 2002, cases where there was enough information to search and our overseas partners were willing to search, they completed 30% of the searches successfully. In 2004, using similar criteria, our overseas partners found birth parents in 33% of searches.
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Why isn’t there enough information to search in some cases?
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There are many different reasons for lack of information about birth parents. In some cases birth parents may have left the child in a safe spot and waited for the child to be found but purposefully kept their identities hidden. In other cases birth parents may have relinquished directly to an orphanage and left identifying information, but staff there may not have passed on the information about the relinquishment to our partner agency. In still other cases inadequate information was taken at the site where the birth parents relinquished.
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Why are Holt’s overseas partners sometimes unwilling to search for birth parents?
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Some of our overseas partners worry that simply searching for a birth parent will expose the fact that that person has born a child out of wedlock. In cultures where unwed pregnancy is intensely shameful, accidentally exposing this information could disrupt significant relationships and cause intense pain. In other countries relinquishing a child is illegal, and searching for a birth parent might expose the searcher and the birth parent to legal risks.
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Why are so few searches for birth parents successful, even when birth parent names and last known addresses are available?
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It is very difficult to find birth parents if they have moved several times or if they used a temporary address when they relinquished their child. In Vietnam, as in other countries, the dislocations of war and changes due to economic development have also made it difficult to find people. In Korea, in addition, many more people than in the US share the same names, both first and last names. The USA with a population of 290 million has 3 million Smiths. Korea with a population under 50 million has 10 million Kims.
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Do international birth parents search for adoptees?
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Yes, in fact, each year from 2002 to 2004, 22 to 25 birth parents requested searches for their children.
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How long does a search for an adoptee take?
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During 2002 searches averaged 86 days. The shortest search was completed in 4 days. The longest search was closed after a year of searching unsuccessfully. During 2004 searches averaged 95 days. The shortest search was completed in 19 days and the longest took 254 days.
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How many of the searches for adoptees are successful?
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During 2002 and 2004 93% of the searches for adoptees were completed successfully.
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Why can’t some adoptees be found?
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People with common last names are difficult to find. Women are more difficult than men to find since they often change their names when they marry.
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Does my birth family speak English? How will I communicate with them, if they are found or if they find me?
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While many people overseas speak English, members of your birth family may or may not do so. We will translate letters for you before you exchange identifying information. You will need to find someone in your local community to translate for you in your on-going relationship with your birth family.
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What happens after reunion?
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| Every reunion is different and hearing the reunion stories of a number of international adoptees will help you anticipate what yours might be like. These stories are now being published and are available through the web and your local bookstore. For further information please contact the Post Adoption Services program. |
How do I start a search?
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Contact the Post Adoption Services program. Your contact with us is confidential.
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Where can I find more information about search?
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Please see "Questions and Answers: An Update on Search and Reunion through Holt" by Laura Crawford Hofer, LCSW.
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| Back to Post Adoption Page | Search and Reunion | Heritage Tours | Heritage Camp |
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