We want everyone to know that Troy Dunn The Locator will appear on the Dr. Phil Show this coming Friday, 10/21/11, at 4:00 pm Eastern Time. 

Troy Dunn has been reuniting adopted adults with their birth parents for many years now.  He’s a great guy and fantastic showman, and you should take a look at this episode. 

Here’s an excerpt on what the show will be about, obtained from the Dr. Phil episodes page:

“Twins Search for Twins

Dr. Phil’s guests are immersed in an adoption mystery steeped in so many secrets, it took expert locator, Troy Dunn, to reconnect the pieces of their fractured family. Lori, her twin sister, Lonnie, and older sister, Linda, say that even as children, they had a stark memory of their pregnant mother leaving for the hospital and returning without a child and a story that didn’t add up. The siblings say they’ve always had their suspicions about a possible sibling, but it wasn’t until their mother’s death that they discovered a piece to the puzzle — paperwork about twins who were placed for adoption decades ago. Delving into the case, Troy uncovers a shocking surprise, but before a reunion can take place, he must deliver some bad news. Find out what happens as Lori, Lonnie and Linda prepare to meet their long-lost loved ones. It’s a family reunion you don’t want to miss! Plus, if you’re searching for someone, don’t miss Troy’s tips for locating a missing relative.”

We hope you take the time to enjoy Troy Dunn The Locator on the Dr. Phil Show. 

If you need immediate assistance locating your birth parents or child given for adoption, please give one of our OmniTrace search consultants a call at 1-888-965-6696 and receive a FREE search evaluation.

There are several states that have open adoption records.  In these states, an adult adoptee can get an original birth certificate and in some instances more adoption record information.

If you are an adoptee looking for your birth parents in an open adoption records state, please request your open adoption records.  However, when you obtain your original birth records, your search might still be difficult.  Having information such as your birth mother’s maiden name and perhaps her old address is a great start, but you will still need to get her current name and address information.  Your birth mother might have changed her name several times, or she might not live in the state where you were adopted.

If you need help with your search, please contact OmniTrace!

Here is a list of states where adoption records for all or some years are open.  In some states, birth parents can sign a no-contact veto:

• Alabama – Adoption records are open.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• Alaska – Adoption records are open.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• Colorado – Adoptions records are open for adoptees whose adoptions were  finalized between 07/01/1951 to 06/30/1976 and 09/01/1999 to present.
• Delaware – Adoption records are open.  Birth parents can sign a no contact veto.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• Illinois – Adoption records prior to 01/01/1946 are open.
• Indiana – Adoption records prior to 1940 may be open.  OmniTrace is currently investigating how to request the original birth certificate.
• Iowa – Adoption records are open prior to 07/01/1941
• Kansas – Adoption records are open.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• Maine – Adoption records will be open beginning in 2009.  OmniTrace will obtain the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• Maryland – Most adoption records prior to 06/01/1947 are open.
• Massachusetts – Adoption records are open for birth years prior to 4/14/1974.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• Michigan – Adoption records are open if the birth parent’s rights were terminated prior to 05/28/1955 or on or after 09/12/1980.
• Montana – Adoption records are open for adoptions finalized prior to 2/2/1964.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• New Hampshire – Adoption records are open.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• New Jersey – Adoption records prior to 1940 may be open.  OmniTrace is currently investigating how to request the original birth certificate.
• Ohio – Adoption records are open for adoptions finalized prior to 1/1/1964.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• Oregon – Adoption records are open.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.
• Tennessee – Adoption records are open.  No-contact vetos are available to birth parents if the adoption was finalized after 1951.  OmniTrace has the necessary forms you will need to open your records.

Please note, if you were born in a state that does not have open adoption records, don’t be discouraged!  OmniTrace has many ways to solve birth parent searches involving closed record states.  In fact, some of our best states for searching are closed record states. Also, there is pending legislation in a number of  states where adoption records may become open.

OmniTrace takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the above information.  If anyone reads any inaccuracies with any of the information provided in this post, please let us know and we will make the appropriate changes.  Thanks so much!

Please write or call us if you have any questions about obtaining your open adoption records.

info@omnitrace.com
Toll Free #: 1-888-965-6696

Whether you are a birth parent, adoptee or birth sibling, the best adoption reunion registry at your disposal is the adoption.com Reunion Registry.   This registry helps numerous people touched by adoption reunite with birth family members or those looking for medical information.  Currently, this easy to use, free, adoption reunion registry has over 400,000 entries–birth parents, adoptees, search angels, adoptive parents and birth siblings.

There are two groups who use this adoption reunion registry:  those searching for someone and those who want to enter their information.  Here’s the easiest way to use this registry:

To just search, use the “Quick Search Box.” This is located in the middle of the reunion registry homepage.   Enter all the info you have on the person you are searching for.  Then search through your results to determine a match.  (you may find several possible matches).  Click on their name, birthdate, birthplace, or the name in the “Submitted by” column. All links will bring you to the correct profile. You’ll then be able to see all the information that that person has provided.  Make sure you scroll down the entire page for all the info and details.

You must register or create an account in order to contact anyone about their profile.  Enter as much info that you feel comfortable with providing.  After you create an account, you will receive a confirmation email and you’ll need to verify your email address;  just click the link in the email.  Now you can contact the person you found via a phone call or an email.

If you register on this adoption reunion registry it’s best to register first before you start searching.  Find the “Click Here to Register” button on the left side.  It will take you to a page to create your username and password.  Once you do that, you will see a lot of empty boxes waiting for you to enter your adoption info.  Enter as much as you feel comfortable with or as much as you know.  However, leave a few important details out.  This can help you determine if anyone contacting you are frauds.  The details you leave out of the registry should be ones that the person you seek should know.  That could include a specific hospital, adoption agency, etc.  If you have any doubts about fraud, contact OmniTrace and we’ll do a quick background check on the person in question.

Once you’re done entering your info, you’ll receive a confirmation email.  Click on the link within the email, and start your search.  You can do a quick, basic search or a more advanced search with the options on the left sidebar.  It’s easy to use the adoption.com reunion registry.  You can always come back to the site to enter additional adoption info.  Just click on “Update Your Profile” under the “Manage Your Profile” section on the left sidebar on the registry homepage.

The adoption.com Reunion Registry is a great, free resource for anyone hoping to reunite. This  registry is easy to navigate, easy to update, and easy to search and find the one you seek.

If you are unable to reconnect with your birth family members through this adoption reunion registry, then your best option is to contact one of our friendly OmniTrace search consultants and receive a FREE search evaluation.  Our toll free number is:  1-888-965-6696 or you can email us at info@omnitrace.com.

Also, please contact us if you have any questions about our “Adoption Reunion Registry” post.

Each week on TV, a celebrity embarks on a quest into his or her birth family ancestry, as they uncover stories of heroism, tragedy, love, betrayal, secrets and intrigue.

Who Do You Think You Are also celebrates the twists and turns of this great nation and the people who made their way here in search of freedom and opportunity.

So, we suggest you tune in to NBC TV and travel through time into the birth family stories of our fascinating celebrities as they solve centuries old mysteries, uncover long lost birth family ties and make shocking discoveries about their ancestors.

If you are reading this post, chances are you are not a celebrity and will not be discovering your birth family on TV on Who Do You Think You Are.  No worries–OmniTrace can assist you.  Please give us a call, toll free, at 1-888-965-6696 and speak with one of our friendly OmniTrace search consultants. 

Oprah Winfrey revealed on her TV show today that she has a new birth family member – Patricia, her half birth sister (her sister’s last name was not revealed).

Apparently, Oprah’s birth mother gave Patricia up for adoption, shortly after her birth, but kept the adoption from Oprah.  Oprah was nine years old and living with her father at that time.  Oprah never knew her birth mother was pregnant.

Oprah’s birth sister lived in foster homes until she was 7—some of them “not so good.”  By 17, she was a single birth mother, Patricia said, and six years later, she had another child.  When she was 20, she searched for information about her birth mother and then let it go until years later.

Patricia said she started thinking Oprah might be her sister when she saw an interview with Oprah’s birth mother, Vernita Lee, on TV.  The birth family information coincided with what she already knew about her family.  “We realized that Oprah could be my sister,” Patricia said.  She tracked down Oprah’s niece who is the daughter of Oprah’s other half-sister.  The pair did a DNA test and they learned they were aunt and niece.  That started the reunion process rolling with birth family members reaching out to Oprah who confirmed with her birth mother that the story was true.

Oprah said that the news of her birth sister literally shook her to her core.  She thought that nothing could surprise her.

Through the years, Oprah Winfrey has reunited many birth family members on her TV show.  She said, “This time, I’m the one being reunited.”  Oprah shared home video of her reunion with her birth sister this past Thanksgiving when she and her partner Stedman Graham drove to Milwaukee to meet her birth sister.  Oprah expressed why she admires her  sister so much.  She said that she has had many people betray her since she became a celebrity and she was moved by the fact that Patricia kept the story secret.  “She never once thought about going to the press,” Oprah said.  “She never thought once to sell the story.”

The birth sisters sat with their birth mother, Vernita Lee, and Oprah asked about her feelings about the family reunion.  “I was shocked to know that she was trying to get in touch with me,” Lee said.  “When I first heard about her, I wasn’t afraid but I was a little leery.”

Oprah said that after leaving her birth mother’s house that she realized Lee has been unable to fully embrace her new daughter because she is still carrying the shame of what she had done.

Oprah said, “I would like to say to our mother, you can let that shame go.” “You can let that go.”

Oprah said she chose to make the announcement about her birth sister herself so the media would not exploit it.

Oprah asked Patricia what has been the most rewarding part of the journey for her. 
“Getting my family,” her birth sister said.

The Locator Episodes have been phenomenal at reuniting birth parents, adoptees and birth siblings.  The Locator investigative team is top-notch and provides great entertainment when they go into action.  During The Locator episodes, you become part of the emotional rollercoaster that we here at OmniTrace are so familiar with.

Troy Dunn and his staff are inundated with search requests and have to choose from hundreds, if not thousands of cases.  According to WE TV, “…for one week each month, Troy devotes all of his staff and resources to one important case that they call theAngel Case.  The Angel Case usually comes to Troy because there is an urgent need to find someone and because she has exhausted all other possible avenues.”

About the new The Locator episodes…

Desperate Mothers premieres on Saturday, November 6^th at 10pm Eastern Time.  Jennifer and her sisters were abandoned by their mother and left with an abusive father.  Jennifer cannot forget the pain of abandonment and turns to The Locator for help in finding her mother.  Can finding Jennifer’s mother help bring her some peace?  Stay tuned!

Then, there is Shelly, a woman with a terribly lonely childhood.  Shelly was adopted and has longed to locate her birth mother.  She wants to know why she was given for adoption and longs to offer her birth mother forgiveness.

Just like on The Locator episodes, OmniTrace – The Adoption Search Experts—reunites birth parents, adoptees and birth siblings.  We estimate that OmniTrace currently conducts more adoption related searches than all TV shows and search companies combined.  We believe our success rate is unsurpassed!

After watching the new The Locator episodes, if you feel emotionally ready to begin your own search, please contact one of our friendly OmniTrace search consultants for a FREE and FRIENDLY search evaluation.  Please call us toll free at 1-888-965-6696 or email us at info@OmniTrace.com.

You can begin a new episode in your life by allowing us to reunite you with your birth family today!

So, you are ready to begin the journey and start your adoption search.  You now need to decide whether to search on your own or hire a private investigation agency.  Here are a few things to consider when opting for the latter:

1)  Be sure to hire a licensed private investigation agency (such as OmniTrace).   Most states have their own licensing requirements.  Some states require investigators to have several years of experience working in law enforcement or working for a law firm.  Special testing is typically required for a license.  Most licensed agencies and investigators need to be bonded and are required to carry errors and omissions insurance.  A licensed agency requires a professional office location and cannot operate out of a living room.  Ask any agency you are considering for their license number and verify it.

(Buyer Beware: If you hire an unlicensed investigator / researcher to conduct your adoption search, they do not receive any oversight by their state.  They may even be performing an illegal service by offering investigative services without a license.  You will be providing an unlicensed, unregulated person with your most personal information!)

2)  Hire a licensed private investigation agency that specializes in adoption searching.  Why?  Would you hire a podiatrist to perform an appendectomy?  Would you hire a civil attorney for a criminal case?  Investigation agencies specializing in adoption searching have knowledge of adoption law, proprietary contacts, access to birth indexes, knowledge of genealogy, specialized databases and more for a successful adoption search.  Adoption specialists are also aware of the nuances involved during the reunion process (kids gloves required!).

3)  Hire an experienced licensed investigator.  Learn how long they have been reuniting birth families.  Ask for specifics, even details on past cases.  Ask for references from past clients.  Speak to others who have used their adoption search service who are not listed as references.

Take some time to find the right licensed private investigation agency that you feel comfortable about and who you can trust.  If you have any questions or concerns, call our toll free number: 1-888-965-6696.

OmniTrace is a licensed and bonded Florida Private Investigation Agency.  License number A2200304.

Our OmniTrace investigative staff has been diligently and happily solving birth parent, adoptee and missing persons cases since 2001.  Our investigators and customer service department are available 9 – 5 Eastern time. 1-888-965-6696.  If all our lines are busy, no worries–leave a voice mail and we’ll call you back promptly!

Here are a few of our OmniTrace Corporate Clientele:

• Pfizer
• YMCA
• University of North Carolina
• Teamsters Union
• Concordia University
• Law Offices of Brown & Crouppen
• Law Offices of Kenneth Schuster
• Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs
• US Bank
• Jackson Memorial Hospital
• CBS Production Studios
• Spring Industries
• US Food Service

The above list is quite incomplete.  We work with many other Fortune 500 firms, attorneys, businesses and universities.

OmniTrace Credentials:

• Licensed Florida Private Investigation Agency (License #A2200304)
• Member Florida Association of Licensed Investigators (FALI)
• Member National Association of Investigative Specialists (NAIS)
• Member Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)

If you are ever in South East Florida, come visit us at our offices in Delray Beach, Florida.  Call for directions.

OmniTrace is a Licensed and Bonded Private Investigation Agency specializing in finding missing people, adoptees and birth parents all over the world.

OmniTrace is a member of:

• The National Association Of Investigative Specialists
• The Association Of Professional Genealogists

OmniTrace estimates that we have reunited more birth parents and adoptees than all other search companies, private investigators and TV shows combined.  Please read some of our testimonials here:  OmniTrace Testimonials

To learn even more about OmniTrace, please check out our 4 Star reviews on Trustlink, a subsidiary of the BBB, and Insider Pages!

Our client list consists of Fortune 500 companies such as Pfizer, schools such as the University of North Carolina, organizations such as the Teamsters Negotiated Pension Plan, attorneys from coast to coast and the general public.

For your entertainment pleasure (and because we love to toot our own horn!), here are a few recent testimonials your favorite people search company would like to share with you:

Julie,

You are the person that called me to tell what info you and OmniTrace found. If you could also pass this email to Sari, I would appreciate it.

I just wanted you to know that I wrote to Dominick.  I wrote him a lengthy letter pouring my heart out about my medical condition and other things. I received a call from him last night and he is the correct person. He is the brother of my biological father, Alfonso.  We spoke for awhile and he was so easy to talk to.

Thank you!

Kathy

Chris,

Everything has gone great. I have been in contact with a ton of extended family members and have met online my half brothers, cousins, etc.  I have spoken to Marilyn a number of times on the phone, and she has even communicated with my mother.

It has been a wild ride, and I guess we are going to try to meet sometime in the future. We have exchanged pictures, emials, etc.. and it is going very well.  Thanks for all of the help and follow up that you and OmniTrace provided.

Brad

Dear OmniTrace,

I wanted to thank you for your HUGE part in helping me find a new part of my family! Everything has gone very well!  I have spoken with and met my birth mother and we are so happy to be able to get to know each other.  I wanted to apologize for taking so long to get back to you. I kind of forgot.

Thank you again!

Carrie

Hi Chris,

Yes, Sunday afternoon I was able to have quiet time to make a call to Barbara in Edmonton.  She was delighted.  Her husband, my birth mom’s brother is suffering from cancer.  On the 9th November 1995 my birth mom, Barbara (they called her Bobbie)passed away of cancer at 57.

She was telling me so many names, ages and locations of the siblings and they’d “have to get a hall” if I came to Edmonton to meet them because there were so many.  WOW!

I gave her my name, address and phone number. She was excited our clocks were the same time. Barbara wasn’t quite sure where Idaho was however, she was going to look on a map.

She is going to send me a picture of the family and share my name and information with Bobbie’s sisters.  One was especially close to my birth mom.  I’m going to write and send some pictures.

I asked about my 3 half brothers but she didn’t have much information other than they were in the Edmonton area. I got the impression they didn’t have too much contact.

Chris, is there a way to find out more about them like phone numbers and/or addresses or what happened to Paul, my birth father?  I forgot to ask Barbara about him.  Seems everyone left the farms around Quinton Saskatchewan.

Your phone call one week ago was a marvelous blessing to lots of unanswered questions for this lady who never felt quite complete.  Something was missing in the story of Joni’s dash and now I found the part.

Kind Regards,

Joni

If you are visiting Florida (or are a Florida resident), please come to our OmniTrace complex and meet with our search consultants and research staff.  We’d appreciate if you call for an appointment so we can set some time aside for you.

OmniTrace Corp.
200 Congress Park Drive
Suite 206
Delray Beach, FL 33445
Phone: 888-965-6696
Fax: 561-470-8905
info@omnitrace.com

The Assembly Human Service Committee unanimously approved a bill that has now been moved to the full Assembly for a vote.

This open records bill–The Adoptees’ Birthright Bill–will give adult adoptees, adoptive parents of a minor or relatives of a deceased adoptee access to original birth certificates.  These records contain the names of the birth mother and child at the time of the birth, as well as other identifying information. 

Some birth parents might not want to be identified or found, so the bill gives them a year to ask the state of New Jersey to remove their names and identifying information from the birth certificates. 

For future adoptions, birth parents will have the option of not being contacted, however, the state will still have to provide the redacted birth certificates and a contact preference form.  The birth parents, if they wish no contact, will also have to provide some family background information including medical information. 

This bill to open adoption records in New Jersey is not perfect.  But OmniTrace believes it does a good job of balancing the rights of birth mothers and adult adoptees seeking their birth family or medical records. 

One caveat:  obtaining your original birth certificate will only be the start of your search.  What you will have, in most instances, is your birth mother’s maiden name and her address at the time of your birth.  OmniTrace can help you with determining your birth mother’s current name, any possible birth siblings and current address information on your family members.

Please write us if you have any questions.  You can also call us toll free at 1-888-965-6696.  Please visit our blog frequently for updates on legislation concerning New Jersey Open Adoption Records.