Finding a Child You Gave for Adoption

DNA Wiki Topics

DNA Companies
23andme Ancestry FamilyTreeDNA	LivingDNA MyHeritage
Public DNA Databases
Borland Genetics	GEDmatch
Classes
Online Learning
DNA Methodology
Automated Clustering Find a child you gave for adoption Find Your Unknown Father Chromosome Mapping Find both of your parents if you are adopted Visual Phasing
Scientific Details
DNA Basics SNPs STRs Hiring a DNA Testing Company How accurate are my ethnicity results? How accurate is my list of genetic relatives? Microarray vs Whole Genome Testing
Ethics
Ethics and DNA Testing

If you gave a child up for a closed adoption and would like to find them, DNA may be able to help you.

The hope is that your unknown child or possibly a child of the child will take a DNA test and match you. However, you do not know where he or she will choose to test so it is important to get your DNA into ALL of the following databases:

1.AncestryDNA
2.23andme
3.MyHeritage
4.FamilyTreeDNA
5.LivingDNA
6.GEDmatch

With the first two it will be necessary to test directly with those companies, but with 3-5 you have the option to upload your raw data from another company into their database. 6 does not sell DNA tests so you must upload the results from another company.

If your child or grandchild ever takes a DNA test, they will be one of your top DNA matches and appear at the top of your list. Usually, the companies will email you anytime a new immediate match appears but you may want to check once or twice a year to make sure that is correct. On Ancestry and 23andme you can add information about yourself to your profile. You can state that you are looking for a child placed for adoption and perhaps their birthdate. That way if they ever test, they know you are looking for them and want to meet. To edit your AncestryDNA profile click here. To edit your 23andme profile click here.

All of the companies allow you to take your test and at least look at your DNA match list for free. Advanced paid tools such as Ancestry Protools will not be helpful for you in this case. Either your child has tested and will be your top match or they are not in the database.