Locating & Searching

When parents are faced with having to search for the non-custodial parent of their child, they can often become overwhelmed with the daunting task of trying to find a needle in a haystack in order to complete a stepparent adoption for their child. While searching for a birth parent is by no means an easy task, there are many tools available in this day and age to make searching a little bit easier than it used to be. Social networking sites are a relatively new way for people to get in touch, and keep in touch with a wide variety of people, and can be useful when you are trying to locate someone. The sites usually require you to register with them… [more]

When parents make the decision to begin a stepparent adoption, one of the first steps that they must make is to locate the non-custodial parent in order for them to willingly terminate their parental rights and consent to the adoption. While some parents may know exactly where the non-custodial parent is, others may have quite a hard time tracking the non-custodial parent down. One of the easiest ways to get the ball rolling when it comes to tracking down a long lost birth parent, is to start spreading the word. Some people have a hard time opening up to others when it comes to family matters, adoption especially, and sharing their plans. For some it is simply a matter of airing their… [more]

When it comes time to search for your adopted stepchild's absent parent it is important to make sure that your child is prepared for such an emotional process in their lives. Search and reunion is an emotional roller-coaster full of highs and lows, with enough twists and turns, and loops to make even the strongest stomachs queasy at times! While no one can be fully prepared for an event such as searching for and being reunited with a birth parent, it is important that your child is as informed as possible before beginning their journey. Discuss your child's motivations for searching. It is important for parents to make sure that their child is searching for their birth parent for the right reasons. Reunions… [more]

As my adopted stepson continues to grow up before my very eyes, despite my best efforts at whining at the world to slow down just a little and let him enjoy being a child just a little bit longer, I find myself thinking a little bit more about his birthmother, and if and when he will decide to search for her before he is grown and out of the house. While he currently has no interest in locating her, that may one day change, and both my husband and I are ready to support him in whatever decision he makes, we just want to make sure that we support him in the right way, and not step on his toes by trying to help him when our… [more]

Often times when a family wishes to complete a stepparent adoption, it stems from one of the child’s biological parents not being in the child’s life. While the remaining family may see the other parent missing as a blessing, it can quickly turn into a curse once the family begins to pursue a stepparent adoption. This is because the missing parent’s permission is needed in order for a stepparent adoption to occur. And if you do not know where the absent parent is, obtaining permission for a stepparent adoption is rather difficult. While some people are great at “living under the radar” by having things such as a lease, or phone in someone else’s name making them harder to find, social sites… [more]

Many times in a hopeful stepparent adoption scenario, one of the biological parents, for one reason or another, is no longer in the picture. Sometimes they opted to be absent from birth, and in other cases contact was somehow lost along the way. While this can be a relief for the parent whom is raising the child, in some instances, when it comes time for remarriage and the idea of a stepparent adoption to provide the child with a stable and complete family, the remaining biological parent is left scratching his or her head when it comes to how to proceed with a stepparent adoption, when the other parent is no where to be… [more]