Adoption Searches

Are you Biological Family Searching for an Adoptee born in the Chicago area before 1964?

Are you Biological Family Searching for an Adoptee born in the Chicago area before 1964? Are you an adoptee whose original birth certificate was redacted and you were adopted in the Chicago area before 1964? If so, I can help, quickly and easily! I can give biological family the name of the adoptive parents! For adoptees with names blacked out on their OBCs, I can give you your birth name! You will receive an instant look-up, and if not found, no charge. Message or call me (618-529-1024) for the details.Cook_County_Illinois_map

Finding your Family Through DNA Testing

I’m seeing astounding things happen for those seeking their family members. DNA testing is opening so many new doors, both for tough family history puzzles and for adoptees, biological family members, and those seeking to identify unknown fathers. Beth, abandoned at a church door as a newborn thirty-some years ago, identified with absolute certainty both of her biological parents with the help of knowledgeable search professionals. Now she has many of the answers she was looking for about health and ethnic history. Then there is Donald, who was abandoned by his teenage birth mother at the hospital after his birth, having given a false name. Using DNA  she was identified, and although she does not wish contact he did connect with others in his biological family and received important information from them.

Feel free to contact me for more information and to explore the possibilities for your search. If you’d like to read up on the subject, there is a free e-book by expert Richard Hill that can be downloaded here: https://dna-testing-adviser.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=3431c03367fd0e65053ddd9ab&id=df4f8ba76f&e=947c33c47a

Reunion: Debbie Finds her Brother

Debbie and Dave Meet for the First Time

 

Sometimes it is really quick and easy to find that person you’ve been searching for many years. Debbie is an adoptee who wanted to find her biological brother who was, like her, given up for adoption. Because his was a Chicago, Illinois adoption and I have some really great resources for solving Illinois cases, we located her brother very quickly. They had such a joyous reunion. Look how much they resemble each other! Nothing makes me happier than this.

Debbie said, “My wonderful Search Angels helped me find my full birth brother! We met on April 18th! Thank you again Juli Claussen!! Our hearts grow stronger every day and we have many years to catch up on. We talk everyday! After 53 years we are a family again !!!!

I Believe

Everyone has the right to information about their family members and who they are.  This includes medical history, ethnic background, etc.

Secrecy implies shame. An adoption in the family is nothing to be ashamed of.  I believe in openness in adoption.

Adoptees have the right to have answers to their questions, know the first chapter of their story and understand why they were placed for adoption.

Birth mothers and fathers have the right to know what became of the child they gave up. They have questions they would like answered too.

– Juli Claussen

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start?  Provide me with all the information you have and I will give you a consultation at no charge. I may have suggestions for gathering further information before initiating a search.

How much will it cost?  Most of the search cases require many hours of research time and involve expenses for documents and other resources. I keep this in mind when I set my fees. If I accept your case on a No Find-No fee basis, there is no financial risk to you if not found.

Can you promise to find the person I’m seeking? No one can promise you they will find the person you are looking for, but I promise to do my very best for you and to leave no stone unturned.

Why go with a search professional over a confidential intermediary (CI)? Some CI programs are provided at no charge, depending on the state. If a free program is available, this is an option you should consider. However, most charge a fee of $300-$600, regardless whether the person is found, and if found and they do not respond to the CI, then the CI is prohibited by law from giving you any information at all. When you hire a search professional, if the individual you seek doesn’t respond or doesn’t want contact, you will still receive a detailed report on that individual.

Why go with a search professional over a search angel? You may wish to have a search angel work on your case first because there will be no charge and there is usually no harm in going that route. However, be sure to use one who has lots of experience and references because well intentioned volunteers sometimes mishandle the first contact and it could ruin your only chance to communicate with that person you’ve been searching for. Also, there are a very few but dangerous individuals who present themselves as search angels but have other motives, so proceed with caution.  If the search angel is unsuccessful, go then to a professional who is likely to succeed when a search angel fails.  However, if you are in a hurry, you may wish to skip the search angel and go straight to a professional.

What happens after I agree to a search? We collect all available information from you regarding who you are searching for, either a birth parent or an adopted person, and conduct a search using all resources at our disposal. We may then contact the searched party to verify the relationship and assess their willingness to be contacted by the client, after which we convey all of the information we have collected.

What if I am rejected by the person I am seeking? In my experience, most searches conclude on a positive note. Most of the time, the person is pleased to have been found. Occasionally this is not the case, and no communication is desired. This is always disappointing, but sometimes, even in these cases, the person who is found is willing to provide some information through me, such as medical history. When no contact is desired, at least there can often be a sense of closure, and sometimes family members of the individual will be willing to connect.

What if the back story turns out to be tragic or shocking?  I will not reinvent, hide, or gloss over information my research has brought to light. I will be truthful and non-judgmental. I will help you come to terms with difficult information.

Cook County, Illinois Adoption Searches

For Cook County, Illinois (Chicago area) Adoption Searches

for Birth Parents

Search by child’s birth name and identify the adoptive parents!

This is a one-of-a-kind, accurate & legal method of obtaining this crucial information. Nearly EVERY Cook County adoption had a ‘legal notice of adoption’ and ‘petition to adopt’ in this publication.

Birthparents, Biological family membersIdentify the adoptive parents of the child who was given up for adoption.  From there it’s usually easy to identify your biological child’s name.

Adoptions 1934 through 1963:  Immediate lookups in computer database with a photo image of the actual ‘petition to adopt’ sent to you. If yours is not found, there’s no charge, so no risk.

My late colleague, Edward “Mike” Egan, searched out, photographed and compiled every ‘petition to adopt’ from the Chicago legal newspaper for a 29 year period in order to create this database. The project took him many years and was quite costly.  He assisted countless people with it in his work as an adoption searcher.

1971 through present:  Some dates are searchable immediately in a database. However, most require a rather time-consuming search in the archives.  Contact me for more information including instructions to do it yourself if you prefer.