[Lindasearchingdtr]

I surrendered my baby girl to Easter House in 08/1988 and am looking for help on how to locate her. Easter House is not cooperating. In fact, my last letter to them was returned as unable to forward. After googling Easter House, I am now horrified by what I am reading. Can any of you help me with my search? I have reached out to the hospital where she was born at but they say they can't help because the records are too old. Please help me reunite with my daughter.

[Nicole28]

Hi Linda,

Here's a few links to get you started in the right direction...

Illinois Vital Records - Adoption Records

Birth Parent Registration Forms

Illinois Adoption Laws

I would register with the state's adoption registry. It appears that will release an adoptee's original birth certificate only if they were born after 1/1/2000. If your biological daughter also registers with the state reunion registry you'll both be notified.

I doubt that the hospital will have any information regarding your biological daughter's adoptive family or adoption. My hospital records only contain information from birth to my release from the hospital to the agency social worker three days later. By law, the hospital can't release certain information so they may be telling you that the records are too old as an excuse?

When I Googled Easter House I got the impression that it had since closed [I didn't dig too deep]. Regardless, the state of IL *should* have records of your biological daughter's adoption. I would start by registering with the state & see if someone from the state health department has information about where the adoption records from Easter House may have been moved to.

[dfhnyc9]

I was adopted through Easter House in 1987, and when I decided to look for my birth family I discovered they had been shut down. Cook County DCFS has the records, but isn't allowed to release them for some reason, until a judge decides on it. I joined the Illinois Adoption Registry, but was impatient, and ended up finding my birth mother on the Reunion Registry. The only other suggestion I have, since Easter House seems to have made it impossible for anyone to get their information, is to hire a lawyer to see if they can get the file released.
-best of luck