This is most of the letter I wrote to the agency that handled my adoption. I asked questions that were important to me personally as well as questions that would lead me to find my birthmother. In addition to these questions, I asked questions that were specific to me, so I didn't include them here.

Dear Catholic Social Services,

I wrote to you in 1992 requesting non-identifying information about my birthfamily. I received some information from you at that time. Since then, I have moved several times, and that document has been lost. I would like to request a new copy of that document, and to request some additional information.

Could you please answer the following:

• Where was my birthmother born?
• What is her birthdate?
• What is her name?
• Did she finish college?
• What was her major?
• When did she first come to the agency about her pregnancy?
• Did she ever talk about keeping me?
• Where was she from?
• Did she stay in a home for unwed mothers during her pregnancy?
• Did she see me in the hospital?
• How long was I in foster care?
• Did my birthmother name me? If so, what was that name?
• Did my birthfather see me in the hospital?
• Where was my birthfather from?
• Did he offer to marry my birthmother?
• Did he attend college? If so, where?
• How long did my birthparents date?
• What was my maternal birth grandfather's occupation?
• What was my maternal birth grandmother's occupation?

I am grateful for the choices my birthmother made concerning my welfare, but I am still left with some questions concerning my origins. Thank you for your help both then and now.

Liz

A majority of these questions fall into the category of Identifying Information, but sometimes the social worker will give some tibits of information beyond the allowable. It's kind of like begging for treats under the table, but that's the way it is.

I didn't actually lose my initial letter from the agency, but I was hoping that I'd get more information if I asked for it again. It took them 4 months to send me the piddly information that they finally sent. After 2 months, I got a letter saying that they needed $30. Had I known when I sent it, I would've sent $60 just to make sure. By the time I got my second set of non-id, I had already found and made contact with my birthmother. At least then I had the chance to see if the information was true. Whoops. They did send me a copy of the letter my birthmother sent with me, which I had actually lost.

Back to the Ohio Adoption Search Information Page.