As you might expect I get many questions about DNA. There are a lot of people in this country that were adopted or just plain abandoned after birth. There are also the children that have been stolen. I would encourage anyone wanting to know if they have family ‘out there’ to do a DNA test.
One of the current cases on my desk will be driven by DNA results. There are siblings that have a father’s name on their birth records. The father’s family denies these children were really the children of this now deceased person. The children are happy to submit DNA and need one of the siblings to also submit DNA to the same testing company. Not surprisingly, none of the siblings are willing to do so. A judge will make the final call on this current stalemate.
Adoptees can be Heirs to Birth Parents Estates
A birth parent wrote a will identifying two children she gave up for adoption. She left her entire estate to these two children as she never married nor had other children. Finding these children takes a lot of legal maneuvering. It’s not easy to do in every state. Remember all states write their own adoption law!
Stories Give You Food for Thought
Children born in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society had more than “five THOUSAND babies and children to the age of 16” sold to the highest bidder.
What Companies to Test With
In the genealogy community we use three main testing companies. Typically we suggest you have an ‘autosomal’ DNA test done. These are also the cheapest test! They will help you find people on both your parent’s lines.
Ancestry.com – typically they are $99 but they do run sales
Family Tree DNA – typically $79 to $159
23andMe – they are the most expensive at $199.00
I have tested with all three companies and have had many adoptees get in touch for help to discover who their birth parent is.