[SJ2461]

I just mailed in my registration forms for the Illinois Adoption Registry. What should I expect? How long does it take?

I'm just curious about other people's experiences.

[heartened]

Hi there -
It takes them about 2-3 weeks to get the info back to you. Basically, they'll confirm your date of birth, tell you the ages of your parents and what hospital you were born at. Whatever non-identifying information they have in your file. If someone from your birth family has also registered and indicated they want contact, IARMIE will notify you of that as well.

I've had mine for about a month. No one from my birth family had registered, unfortunately.

Have you sought non-identifying info from your agency? They're going to have a lot more info than the state will.

[MKW]

I agree with exactly what was said above. It only took a couple weeks to get my info. back. And, no one in my b-family had registered either. It really is best to get in touch with the agency who handled your adoption.
Good luck to you.

MKW

[tori112853]

FH-heartened is correct to some extent about the non-identifying however how much information you get is going to depend on when you are born. Illinois law designates 9 items as non-identifying back in 1930-50 alot was on the face of the birth certificates and then as they were revised more and more information was moved from the face of the birth certificate to what is called "health and statistical" and IARMIE can only release information from what would have been the certifiable portion of the original birth certificate so yes in 1971 those are the items but for someone in 1950's would be age of parents, race, # of previous children, occupation of parents and date and place of birth of the adoptee.

[MKW]

Umm - I think I beg to differ. I was born in 1956 - and the only thing I received from my OBC was my parents ages at the time of my birth, the place, date and time where I was born - that's all.

MKW

[tori112853]

MKW- that is very possible - however it would have been because that is all the information that was given at the hospital. However on that year of birth the record has the option for more information if it is provided. The IARMIE can only release information that is on the record. My basic point was that there was the opportunity for there to be more non-id on the older birth certificates than on the new versions.

[heartened]

Thanks for clearing that up, Tori - I didn't know the amount of information varied until after I'd already responded to the original poster. Good information to have!!

SJ2461, definitely contact the agency - I got a huge amount of info from mine. Info which, if I'm really methodical in how I use it, may actually help me track down my family.

I encourage every adoptee from Illinois to register with IARMIE. Even if you're a younger adoptee and think the state might not have much information for you, just being listed in the registry is important. And you won't know if someone from your birth family has registered until you do!

[SJ2461]

It's been 3 weeks since I mailed in my Illinois registration forms and I haven't heard back yet. I'm getting anxious. I also just applied for non-id info from my adoption agency. Waiting is hard!

[MKW]

I'm sorry it's taking the state so long. I do know there is only one person in that office - so - who knows what else is on her desk. But I do understand about being anxious - once you finally decide to take that step, you want answers, NOW!!!

Hope the adoption agency can give you some help too.

Hang in there.

MKW

[SJ2461]

I should have been a little more patient. The IARMIE information was in my mailbox today.

The only information it included were my date and location of birth and the ages of my birth parents. Before receiving this info, my mom had told me my birth mother's age but I didn't know about my birth father.

Now I'm just waiting to hear from the agency. It seems like the more information I find, the more curious I get!

[heartened]

I know how frustrating it can be! Funny, when I sent in my IARMIE and requested my non-id, I had no intention of searching. Now, I'm spending nearly every waking moment trying to track down my family.

It sounds like you got the same amount of info I did - for me, it was more than I had to start with and it was just good to know that the day I celebrated my birth every year was actually accurate.

Congrats!

Illinois is a rough state to try and conduct a search for. But that doesn't mean impossible!

[SJ2461]

In the letter from the IARMIE it says "If we receive a similar request from your birth mother, father or sibling..."

Is that just a standard sentence included in everyone's letters or does that mean I have a sibling? They're probably not allowed to tell me about siblings, right? Well, at least not unless they register, which the same paragraph says no one has.

So I guess that means it's just a generic phrase?

[heartened]

Mine said the same - I think it is generic. Although I DO have siblings according to my non-id from my agency. But because sibs can register (if birth mother has died), I think it is just a standard sentence.

[heartened]

By the way, I've been learning a lot about search resources, especially for Illinois since I was born there, too. So if you need some help, let me know. I've got some links that might be useful for you depending on where you were born, how much non-id the agency gives you, etc.

[MKW]

Yep - it's a standard line - mine said the same - again, even though I do have siblings.
Illinois is tough - but I found the agency to be very compassionate and helpful. Hope the same works for you.

MKW