The first step in finding out about your biological grandparents should be to write down and gather all the information that you can find out about yourself from your family and friends.
Your first port of call should be your father. If he is comfortable talking about the subject, then talk to him in order to find out as much as you can about the circumstances of his adoption. Ask him if he knows the name of the hospital he was born in, the agency that handled his adoption - write down any information, no matter how insignificant it might seem at first.
Similarly, you can approach your father’s adoptive parents and ask them for any information or documentation that they might have in relation to the adoption.
Then gather together all the documents and information you have found. It may be possible for your father to find out more information by contacting the appropriate government official for documents such as an amended birth certificate, petition for adoption, and the final decree of adoption.
If either your father or his adoptive parents contact the agency that handled his adoption, the agency should be able to provide ‘non-identifying information’ relating to the process. This information may include details about his birth parents, such as their medical history, health status, the cause of death, age at death (if applicable), height, weight, eye colour, ethnic origin, religion or profession.
Registering with a reunion registry, such as the International Soundex Reunion Registry (ISRR) may be a productive way of tracking them down. If you have the resources to do so, you could also get a Confidential Intermediary to access the relevant information and attempt contact. Ultimately, any attempts to find your biological grandparents are likely to be more successful with the co-operation of your father.
Your first port of call should be your father. If he is comfortable talking about the subject, then talk to him in order to find out as much as you can about the circumstances of his adoption. Ask him if he knows the name of the hospital he was born in, the agency that handled his adoption - write down any information, no matter how insignificant it might seem at first.
Similarly, you can approach your father’s adoptive parents and ask them for any information or documentation that they might have in relation to the adoption.
Then gather together all the documents and information you have found. It may be possible for your father to find out more information by contacting the appropriate government official for documents such as an amended birth certificate, petition for adoption, and the final decree of adoption.
If either your father or his adoptive parents contact the agency that handled his adoption, the agency should be able to provide ‘non-identifying information’ relating to the process. This information may include details about his birth parents, such as their medical history, health status, the cause of death, age at death (if applicable), height, weight, eye colour, ethnic origin, religion or profession.
Registering with a reunion registry, such as the International Soundex Reunion Registry (ISRR) may be a productive way of tracking them down. If you have the resources to do so, you could also get a Confidential Intermediary to access the relevant information and attempt contact. Ultimately, any attempts to find your biological grandparents are likely to be more successful with the co-operation of your father.
