Although neither was an adopted child, GENESSA's Lady G and Lionheart have each had personal experiences concerning the adoption of children. Here are some adoption resources we hope you will find of use; most of them have, in turn, a plethora of links, but most are more than just links collections. We have examined each one to make sure it offers some kind of service or information beyond directing you onward. We can't vouch for or endorse any of them. We haven't investigated beyond that and we're not qualified anyway. We do hope we have succeeded in excluding no one except the following:
Those who advocate adoption merely as an alternative to abortion, and not in its own right (in other words, antiabortionists posing as adoption advocates) Those who are anti-adoption (yes there are such sites and organizations) Sites for whom religion comes first and adoption concerns come second. Sites which, however interesting, are purely personal and contain no resources other than whatever support their shared experiences may provide. GENESSA does, however, understand the value of such stories. They are not listed as resources but instead will be made available as you, the readers, choose to share them (email us!)
Our examinations do reveal that each site has a unique take on adoption, a different focus, a separate subagenda, from child protection to birth-mother (and birth-father) needs to adult adopted children seeking their birth parents to pertinent laws on every aspect of adoption. (There is a wide geographical range to be covered, too. It is not our intention to focus primarily on the United States but most of the resources we find are American. We include resources from other nations, notably Canada and the U.K. but as far-flung as Sweden and Tasmania, as we encounter them.) Not only is there something for everyone here, there is something to OFFEND everyone here. (Be nice!) Some are adoption agencies; we have in no way, shape or form even dreamt of listing every adoption agency online here, but have included them as we've come across them. (If you know of an adoption agency that should be listed here, despite our lack of interest in becoming comprehensive in this regard we will be happy to hear from you and perhaps list the agency here.) Adoption agencies can be useful even if you are not looking to adopt (or adopt through an agency, or adopt through THAT agency) because its stated requirements may help you understand what you need and how/where to get it (for example, home studies, financing, state laws, practices in other countries).
Some of the sites below are informational clearinghouses, private, governmental and in between. Some are lists of lists of lists of lists and we will do our best not to duplicate those here; they may in fact be duplicating what we already have. Many of the links are to adoptees' search agencies. Our inclusion of these sites is meant to aid those who feel they need them and not to offend those who feel they do not. Some are intended to comfort or empower birth mothers; again, these are not intended to offend or exclude adoptive families! In short, as we visit these sites it becomes apparent to us that you will not find what you need, or even what is appealing to you, at every site. We do think they will prove at least interesting and potentially helpful.
GENESSA has chosen to alphabetize as follows: Names that begin with initials come at the head of their alphabetical listing UNLESS the initials stand for the name of the organization, which is also spelled out; in that case, it is placed where it belongs according to its spelled-out name.
It is our premise that someone is looking for you. They have a mutually beneficialreason for the two of you to link up or reconnect. So, they are trying to find you:
maybe to rekindle an old friendship, maybe a distant relative died and left you some money, maybe to find a birth family member from adoption, < maybe you might have some information on a common ancestor maybe for any one of a hundred other good reasons.
Enter your Last Name here and hit 'Search' to see if there are any messages in our database meant for you.
