How to Find Adoption Records in Massachusetts

Searching for adoption records can be a long process fraught with disappointment and frustration. Open adoptions, closed adoptions, private adoptions and public adoptions all have different protocols depending on the year the adoption took place, the wishes of all parties involved and the location of the adoption. To find adoption records in Massachusetts, contact the proper agencies and search the proper databases. The state offers support options for people searching for their birth parents.

Instructions

    • 1

      Obtain a copy of your birth certificate from the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. Email the registry at [email protected] to get instructions based on your age. Birth certificates of adoptees between 1974 and 2008 aren't available.

    • 2

      Talk to your adoptive parents. Ask if they have any of the paperwork that helped them adopt you. Get a copy of it.

    • 3

      Talk to the adoption agency or the group that handled the adoption. Many adoptions also include a lawyer, so speak with him as well. Explain what records you're looking for and ask if they can provide you with any information.

    • 4

      Check online databases against your date and place of birth. Massachusetts doesn't keep a state registry like many other states, but independent adoption forums and databases are set up online. Call 617-727-0900 to speak to the Adoption Search Coordinator for Massachusetts.

    • 5

      Request, in writing, non-identifying information about your birth parents and adoption from the agency where you were adopted. It may help you locate your birth parents through a mutual consent registry.

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