Source: Steve and Sara Emry

The search for your biological mother can be a very difficult and emotional undertaking, especially if you have no memory of her. Most people begin the search for their biological parents when they are all grown up – some when they are even in their late 20s to 50s. I cannot dispute that the urge to know and meet a biological parent can be overwhelming, especially for those who may not understand the circumstances that separated them in the first place. Some people are given up for adoption at an early age, others grow up in foster care and quite a large number go missing and are found by authorities. Whatever your case, here are some tips that can help you find your mom.

Step 1: Collect all information you can get regarding your childhood and your biological parents if you can. You can trace your roots by talking to your foster parents if you have them, follow how you came to be and any adoption agency that may have given you up for adoption. In some circumstances, you may need to have a police abstract or order from court to allow access into your adoption paperwork.

Step 2: If your trail cannot be conclusive, the best place to start is on the internet. You can conduct searches using information you know about yourself or the scanty information you know about your parents or where you were born if you know. Also, joining discussion group for adoptees in your region can be very beneficial as it has helped many people reunite with their birth parents. That’s not all, you should also register with different online reunion databases specifically for adoptees and – your parents or someone who knows your parents may find your information there.

Step 3: One of the most effective ways to let your mother find you is to have your story published in the media or broadcast on TV. Getting to this is not easy, but if you try enough to find your parents someone will notice and assistance may come from quarters you expect least. Be sure to indicate any birth names you may have had if your names were changed and have your photo published or broadcast as well.

Step 4: Go to the local authorities in your area and find out if there are any mutual consent adoption documents deposited at the local leader’s or adoption agency office. This will be particularly important if you know your date of birth or if you are using names that your biological mother gave you.

Step 5: Lastly, try to find your closest families based on your name, if that is the name your mother gave you, or based on your appearance. If you can know where you were adopted from (such as country, state or province) it will be much easier.

Never give up looking for your birth mother. Some people search for their biological parents for as long as 30 years, and when it eventually yields fruit, the joy of reunion overshadows the pain it took to find each other. Remember, you never know what circumstances your mother and you were separated, do not jump into conclusions and only stop if every attempt is dead end or you think you cannot handle the emotional part of finding your mom.