What is an Adoption Search Angel?
Hint: These angels don't have wings.
The word “angel” has been used to describe heavenly beings as well as mortals who are so tender, so giving, and so loving that there is no other single word that says it all. And so the adoption community has attached the word angel to those kind people who volunteer their time, their talents, and often their resources to search for people who have been separated by adoption or foster care.
Many states still have sealed birth records that will not allow an adoptee from a closed adoption access to names or other vital birth information. Many adoptees hit so many road blocks that it becomes discouraging and they do not know where else to look. Birth parents may experience the same frustration.
Search angels explore all resources to help an adoptee find his/her birth family, or to help a birth parent find the child. This can include searching online registries, school records, and other recorded documents. Sometimes a search angel will uncover just enough information to help those searching get past a difficult obstacle and continue the search.
The great reward for search angels is peace and satisfaction in knowing they helped someone in need. To locate a search angel, simply search the internet with the keywords “search angel.” A word of caution, though: To safeguard yourself, be cautious in the information you provide, and remember that a search angel does not require bank account information, social security numbers, or anything else that could compromise the safety of your identity.
