[daisyjen]

Recently I just started looking for any birth relatives. Through the adoption agency I was adopted from they are directing my search to CHASI (children's aid & home society of illinois). The fee for this is $375 or something approximate. Is there something they have to pay for? Court or anything like that? When I spoke to the girl at Lifelink/Bensenville Home Society she said she had my file, but had to give it to CHASI in order for them to do the search, and yet she said she had all the names in the file which she has to send to them in order to do the search. If I sign a release for any birth relatives to contact me and they don't do the same, what is the money for? What exactly are they searching if everything is right there in the file. What am I missing here?????????

[Pemblel]

I also was referred to Chasi. It makes me very mad that they will only give information to me if I pay especially if they have the info in front of them and do not have to do any work to get it. I just found out you can find medical information that is non identifying through the state of Illinois on their website. I live in Oregon, we have open records here. If you find any info that could help me get my records from Illinois, it would be greatly appreciated.

[daisyjen]

It's so annoying that they have this info in front of them, but need the money to tell me. What kind of bologna is that :-) I already have the non-id info that my parents gave to me a couple years ago that they got when they adopted me. So, basically I just have to give up the money and hope something good happens.

[lizr5478]

You know, I tried to go thru the agency I was adopted thru like 8 yrs ago same type of thing but they didn't offer a "search"
Now They are NON EXISTANT and I can't find them or their records anywhere!!!
but anyways,
I have heard about this type of thing... and you know what You may be better off just going thru the CI SEARCH PROCESS...
It is state approved... you KNOW that when you give them that money that IS THEIR JOB... the CI's that is WHAT THEY DO.. and they have DIRECT acess to ANY adoption file THRU THE STATE OF ILLINOIS... the INITAL fee is $95 and then the fee after that is like $300 so its like the same cost EXPENSIVE thats for sure...
But I spoke to a birth mom that went thru the agency (a pretty well known one!) and SO DID HER B DAUGHTER... ND DO YOU KNOW THAT **** AGENCY DIDN'T EVEN CONNECT THEM!!!
She found her daughter THRU a Private Investigator.... and when she did the daughter told her that she went to the agency to find her and THE AGENCY NEVER EVEN TOLD EITHER OF THEM THEAT THE OTHER WAS SEARCHING FOR THEM!!!!
I don't know, I mean why do the agency's have to charge that fee anyways??/ like you said THEY ALREADY HAVE THE DOCUMENTS.... Well if you haven't started already, I would go thru the CI process, yeah it may SEEM like it takes longer but in all fairness it may happen a WHOLE LOT QUICKER TOO...

I just say this cause I KNOW from what I am going thru emotionally that its like something that you want more than anything EVER and THEY KNOW THAT you will come up with any amount of money for this ONE THING that you want SOO badly...
Thats just my experiance anyways. haha sorry, but I know for me IT IS A VERY emotional PROCESS!!!!
good luck!!!
beth r