There are several reasons why it’s a good idea to use an adoption search angel. For starters, they have experience that you don’t have. Most search angels have at least been through their own search and reunion journey, if not helped others also. Experience helps an angel know where to look for people and what resources to use.
For some adoptees, search and reunion is as easy as taking a DNA test, getting a close match, and sending an email. Often that is not the case, and even DNA results usually take time and effort to work through to find birth family. In most cases, enlisting the help of a search angel will save you time. Time is always your enemy when you are searching.
Many search angels belong to private search groups and have subscriptions to people finder services and/or background check websites. Those tools can be invaluable for assisting with your search.
I used a search angel to find my family with great success. I took an Ancestry DNA test and my results came back with 310 matches that were third cousin or closer. On my own, it would have taken me a year to work through all of my matches to identify my birth parents. I would have spent my days meticulously placing each person on my family tree trying to backtrack to where I fit in. My search angel did that work in a day. She found my birth parents in 24 hours. How? She knew what she was doing because she had experience.
My birth father passed away three days before we found my biological family. I should have taken the leap and searched sooner. Every day counts when you are searching. Tomorrow is never promised. If you can save time by using a search angel, do it. Even a few days could make all the difference.
Ashley Foster is a freelance writer. She is a wife and mother of two currently residing in Florida. She loves taking trips to the beach with her husband and sons. As an infant, she was placed with a couple in a closed adoption. Ashley was raised with two sisters who were also adopted. In 2016, she was reunited with her biological family. She advocates for adoptees’ rights and DNA testing for those who are searching for family. Above all, she is thankful that she was given life. You can read her blog at //ashleysfoster.blogspot.com/.