Finding people on the internet?

. Some will remember my story from [url]http://robin.robin.org/barnardos/[/url] and [url]http://www.robin.robin.org/search/[/url] I'm not sure how things have changed recently in Scotland or if adoption regs are still being reviewed, so what's written below may not all apply to the situation north of the border. I don't think all of the changes down here are for the best, as a result people are turning more to the internet. As you probably know I work for an adoption support agency on a voluntary basis. I'm always being told how awful things on the internet are and that "they ought to be banned". I've just been in touch with my putative father's daughter from his later marriage, so possibly my half sister. She was looking on Genes Reunited for family tree info, someone spotted it and drew my attention. My message must have come as a bit of a shock to her. She has been able to fill in some gaps and tell me about another previous "family" of his that are mentioned on my Barnardos ( Dr Barnardo's Homes) file. Barnardo's Family Connections in Barkingside are astoundingly useless at helping with anything like this. So I have a personal interest in this as well as wanting to do a bit of private research in to the number of positive stories and the number of disasters. so far I've not heard of any bad results on any of the groups I've posted to. I've been the internet myself for over 10 years and couldn't tell you of a single incidence where anyone has had a serious problem arising out of using the internet for family searching. I've personally managed to reunite quite a few people, sometimes because I already know the person they are looking for from the groups. Human nature being what it is, there no doubt have been some less happy stories. A lot of people haven't found what they were hoping for and have been disappointed. For some the whole thing has fallen apart after a little while, but that would have happened however contact had been made. No social worker or counsellor can make people who are just not compatible, compatible. As long as you follow a few common sense safety rules, I think it is an excellent tool for people searching. I wish the internet had been available 15 years ago when I started out. I could have told Barnardos ( Dr Barnardo's) where to go stick its unenlightened twenty year out of date (even then) "policies". I do still think that it is a good idea to use an intermediary to make the first contact particularly in adoption cases. I would say, beware of people and organisations on adoption groups (or anti-adoption groups) who claim to have all sorts of expertise and skills that they simply don't possess. If you were adopted or are a natural relative, ask to see their registration with the CSCI as an adoption support agency. If they haven't got one but claim to be registered as "voluntary organisation" it doesn't mean a thing. Don't give them a penny, give them a wide berth. If you're adopted and already know the name of the relative you seek, and don't want to use an ASA or your adoption agency, it is easy enough to do it yourself. If you're not able to DIY, you'd be better of with a decent PI firm at least most of them work to a specific code of ethics, unlike the really dodgy unregistered "research foundations" that you might come up against on the internet.. See [url]http://www.theabi.org.uk/[/url] If you are a relative looking for someone who has been adopted and you don't know their name after they were adopted, you have little choice but to go to an ASA or the agency that arranged the adoption, but shop around and ask your local authority ss if they can help, some will. But if you want quick efficient service an ASA is the best bet but you'll have to pay for it. For information about the new regulation and practice for adoption searches see [url]http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/[/url] this is not a "government website" as I've seen stated elsewhere, it is compiled by BAAF and it is authoritative. The government's web site on all aspects of adoption legislation including search and reunion is at [url]http://www.dfes.gov.uk/adoption/lawandguidance/[/url] Most reputable agencies that help formally adopted people will also help people who have lost contact with their family as a result of long-term fostering or of being in care as a child. Robin Harritt [url]http://harritt.net[/url] *