How Online DNA Sites Affect Adoption

How Online DNA Sites Affect Adoption

How Online DNA Sites Affect Adoption

Scientific and technological advances have made DNA testing more accessible than ever. For many in the adoption community, online DNA services offer a new and powerful way to search for biological relatives. But while these tools have created new opportunities for connection, they also come with emotional complexities that aren’t always easy to navigate.


The Changing Landscape of Adoption Searches

Online DNA services have significantly impacted how adoptees and birth parents search for one another. In open adoptions, birth parents and adoptive families may choose to maintain some level of contact, which can give the adoptee access to important personal and family history.


In closed adoptions, however, adoptees often grow up with little or no information about their birth families. As they get older, many feel a deep need to understand their origins, especially when trying to form a complete sense of identity. For these adoptees, the desire to search for birth relatives is often motivated by love, curiosity, and the need for connection.


How Online DNA Sites Work

Modern DNA sites connect people who share genetic material. If a birth parent or close relative has submitted their DNA to one of these services, an adoptee may receive a match. Depending on privacy settings and the service provider, this match could reveal names, relationships, and even geographic locations.


For some, these matches lead to joyful reunions and the chance to build a meaningful relationship. For others, they may lead to more questions, or even unexpected emotional challenges.


The Positive Aspects of Online DNA Services

Many adoptees use DNA services to learn about their ethnic background or medical history, which can be deeply meaningful. For others, these tests have led to emotional healing, long-awaited connections, or a deeper understanding of who they are and where they come from.


Birth parents, too, may find peace in reconnecting with a child they placed for adoption—especially if they’ve wondered how that child is doing over the years.


The Drawbacks of Online DNA Sites

Despite the positive stories, not every outcome is easy. Some birth parents chose closed adoption for very personal reasons, and they may not be emotionally prepared for contact.


In other cases, adoptees may find relatives who are unaware of the adoption or unwilling to build a relationship.


There are also privacy concerns. Even if someone hasn’t submitted their own DNA, a close relative might, making it possible to be “found” unintentionally.


These reunions, when unplanned, can be overwhelming or emotionally difficult for all parties involved.


Moving Forward With Care

If you're thinking about using an online DNA test to search for biological family, know that you're not alone. These tools can be powerful—but they’re not the only way.


Working with an experienced, compassionate adoption professional can help guide your search in a way that honors everyone’s emotional needs, boundaries, and hopes. A professional can prepare you for different outcomes, offer support, and increase the likelihood of a safe, respectful, and meaningful reunion.


Do you want to know more about closed or open adoption? Please get in touch with our customer care staff at Adoption Angels to schedule a free consultation. We offer our services in Texas, where we have helped match adoptive families with children for over 45 years.

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By Brittany Carvalho December 20, 2024
Hello & Thank You , My name is Kerstin, and I'm so grateful to you for considering me and my son Malakai as a possible match for you and your child. A single person might not have been your first thought for your child, but I have just as much support and love to give as a couple would have - or even more! My life is rich with family, friends, and opportunities. I have a successful career that provides my family with the resources to explore the world and experience new things. I would love the opportunity to share these wonderful experiences with your child. Malakai (Kai for short) was adopted at birth and is three years old. We have an open relationship with his birth mom and often send her pictures and videos. I am open and committed to whatever type of communication you would like. I want you to know that your child will always know their adoption story and the love you have for them. I am happy to answer any questions you have so that you can make the best decision for you and your baby. As you'll see in this profile, I have a deep love and appreciation for all different cultures, and I love to learn about people and places all over the world. Travel has been a big part of my life, and I also appreciate and value diversity close to home. We live on a street with families of many different backgrounds, and the schools and businesses in our neighborhood also reflect that diversity. I love languages and have studied Spanish and Haitian Creole. The public elementary school closest to our home is a dual immersion bilingual school (Spanish and English). I would love for Malakai and any future child I might have to attend this school because I highly value bilingual language skills and the opportunity to build relationships with classmates and teachers of many different backgrounds. I am committed to honoring and valuing your child's cultural background and ensuring that it is an important part of their daily lives. I pray often for you and your journey. I thank God for you and your decision to consider adoption. I pray for God to give you peace and comfort. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and Malakai and see if we might be a good match for you and your child. With Love, Kerstin
By Brittany Carvalho December 19, 2024
Hello & Thank You , First off, let's introduce ourselves. Our names are Amy, Hao, and our not so little man James Paul. We want you to know how grateful we are to you for looking at our book. Our goal is for you to get to know who we are in an honest and real way. Adoption has a complex variety of feelings for all parties involved, especially for you. We can't begin to understand the emotional and overwhelming circumstances you have had to face in making these difficult decisions. We want you to know we support you and think that what you are doing is selfless and generous beyond comprehension. From an early age, I knew carrying a child to full term would be highly unlikely. So, when we met, having children was a part of our early conversations. We always wanted a family and knew adoption was going to be how we would become parents. This led us to adopt our beautiful and sweet son, James. We have so much more love to share with another child, and James is waiting with open arms and a welcoming smile. Our upbringing has significantly shaped who we are today, including our parenting style and how we plan for our future. Both of our parents are still married, and observing their relationship through both happy and challenging times has taught us the importance of commitment in maintaining a long-lasting marriage. Our family includes no shortage of caring aunts, fun uncles, and many young cousins to grow up with. One thing you can be certain of is DOTING GRANDPARENTS!! We are blessed that we can go to anyone in our family for guidance, advice, and support. You could not ask for a more dedicated crew of family members. We promise to you that we will honor you in the way you deserve. We will share with you the progress of your wonderful and cherished child's life. You'll be part of their life story from their earliest days to the questions that arise with growing curiosity. Your role will always be respected, valued, and cherished. We hope that our book gives you insight into who we are as people and as a family. Our very different strengths will lead to us raising well-rounded children. Together, we will teach them the importance of acceptance and kindness to those around them while still allowing them to be independent and able to stand up for themselves. Hao and I share the greatest hope of raising our children and providing them with safety and security, all with an embarrassing amount of love and affection. Thank you for considering us; we could not do it without you. Sincerely, Hao & Amy
By Brittany Carvalho December 13, 2024
Hello & Thank You , Just saying thank you isn't enough for us to express our gratitude for considering us to be adoptive parents. We cannot begin to understand how difficult this decision is and that it is not taken lightly. No matter your decision, you are in our thoughts and prayers. We are Amanda and Spencer. We have been together over ten years and have been married for three. From the very beginning of our relationship, we talked about starting a family, but God had different plans for us. Unfortunately, Amanda has faced health challenges that have led to infertility, which won't allow us to have our own biological children. Adoption has touched both our lives in meaningful ways. Spencer's mother was adopted, and she is ecstatic that we are pursuing this path. In addition, Spencer has two adopted cousins, and I have one as well. Both of our families are loving and supportive of our decision, and we are all ready to share unconditional love with a child. Since we both have relatives who were adopted, we believe it is important for your child to understand their adoption story from the very beginning. We look forward to sharing with your child just how special they and their birth family are to us. The relationship between a child and their birth family is significant, and we strongly support an open adoption. There is no such thing as too many people to love and support a child. Raised in the Catholic faith, we plan to instill the same values in our future child. We cherish faith, family, community, friendships, and love, and we will teach the importance of hard work and the achievements it can bring. With both our families and friends nearby, your child will be surrounded by a loving network of support. Thank you for the time to read our story and consider us as potential adoptive parents. We wish you peace on this journey and the very best for you and your child. Sincerely, Spencer & Amanda
By Brittany Carvalho December 10, 2024
Hello & Thank You , Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about us. While we cannot say we understand the emotions, decisions, and journey you are facing, we recognize and honor the enormous gift you are sharing with a family like ours. We are Christi and Michael. We have been together for 6 years and married for 4. When we first started dating, I shared with Michael that biological children might not be a possibility for me due to the reproductive issues I had experienced. When Michael stated without hesitation that he was open to adoption, I knew he was someone special. After trying the recommended fertility treatments to ensure we were never left wondering, “What if?” we started our adoption journey feeling relieved and confident this was the path meant for us. Part of what drew us to each other was how we viewed our families and our desires to have a family of our own. Both of our lives have been touched by adoption in various ways. Therefore, we knew we were ready to start our adoption journey. In 2023, we welcomed our daughter, Isabel (Izzy), into our lives through adoption. Izzy has brought so much joy, laughter, love, and fun to our lives ever since. We are so grateful to have been chosen as Izzy’s adoptive parents and are blessed to guide her on this journey of life. We believe it is important for your child to understand their adoption story from the beginning and look forward to letting them know how truly special they and their birth family are to us. We welcome an open adoption as we value the relationship between a child and their birth family. Children can never have too many people who love and support them. We have established a small group of friends who have young, adopted children and enjoy meeting them throughout the year. We believe it will be valuable for our children to have the opportunity to be around other adopted children throughout their lives. There are adoptees in that group, and we talk openly with them about their experience as adoptees to help us gain insight into their perspective. With a large family nearby, your child will be loved and surrounded by many family members, friends, and a faith community. In addition to providing your child with unconditional love, we hope to instill the qualities of honesty, integrity, faith, kindness, the value of family, and perseverance. Both of us come from hard working families where we each learned to be independent, responsible, and self-sufficient, knowing we always had our families supporting us. We appreciate your time and continue to pray for you and the decisions that lie ahead. You are a beautiful person, and you are giving an invaluable gift. We hope you feel the love and peace you deserve. Sincerely, Michael & Christi
By Brittany Carvalho December 9, 2024
Hello & Thank You , There's no way for us to begin understanding your life, struggles, and victories. Hopefully, we can play a part in one another's stories- sharing and growing through all the ups and downs that this world has to offer. Know that if chosen, we will love your child unconditionally and fiercely protect and shelter them all the day of our lives. This whole process feels a little surreal, and finding the perfect words to say them is a challenge. Thank you, though, for even looking at this book and taking a peek into our lives. We want to reassure you that we have the utmost respect and admiration for you, regardless of the path you choose. We are confident that whomever you choose to raise your baby will be the perfect fit! Regardless of where each of our lives goes, we want you to know you are continuously in our hearts and minds. After struggling with infertility and going through several fertility treatments, we made the decision not to pursue IVF. We felt like God was pulling on our hearts to bring someone into our lives in a different way. After much prayer and conversation, we decided adoption was the clear path, and we're excited to grow our family this way. Following the completion of our home study and application with Adoption Angels, we were in disbelief one morning when Alexandra took a pregnancy test, and it was positive. However, during our daily evening walk that day, we both knew that we wholeheartedly wanted to continue to pursue adoption. Alexandra comes from a large family where many of her brothers and sisters are close in age, her brother Russ being a mere 18 months apart from her. Growing up so close in age, we were less siblings and more partners and crime- each other’s best confidants and adventure buddies as we traveled the world with the military. The loyalty, utter love, and connection we feel toward each other are hard to explain, and to this day, my siblings and my brother's wife are my best friends. We would be over the moon excited to raise children who would experience this bond and feel the same love and closeness. It’s becoming clearer to us every day that this is the path God has been leading us on all along. Know that no matter how a child comes into our family, we plan to love them exactly as we love our son, Adrian- with every fiber of our being! Thank you again so much for reading our story! Aaron & Alex
By Brittany Carvalho December 5, 2024
Hello & Thank You , Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share a glimpse into our lives. First and foremost, we want to express our deepest gratitude, as being considered in your adoption journey means more to us than you may know. The love you have for your child is undeniable. Though we cannot know the challenges you are facing in making this decision, your love, strength, and courage stand out the most. We truly admire you. We are Luke and Cassi and our four-legged fur baby, Sully. We’ve been together for 16 years and married for 3. After years of infertility, adoption feels like the right path for us. From a young age, we always knew adoption would be part of our journey, and now, after much anticipation, we’re filled with excitement and hope. We truly believe the younger versions of us would be proud of the direction life has taken, and we are eager to open our hearts and home to a child. Adoption is a lifelong bond, and we promise to cherish it. We are committed to creating a safe, loving, and nurturing home where your child can grow, explore, and thrive. We will inspire curiosity, embrace individuality, and encourage them to follow their dreams. We will also surround your child with the people who will love them through life’s challenges and triumphs. Our home will be filled with love, laughter, and family traditions, including cozy nights by the fire, bedtime stories, adventures in our camper, and Sundays by the pool. They would always be encouraged to be their true selves, follow their passions, respect themselves and others, and always know they are valued. We will teach them kindness, empathy, and the importance of family. Most importantly, we will always talk openly and lovingly about the love and sacrifice that led you to choose adoption. We want your child to know how deeply they are loved, both by us and by you. Thank you again for taking the time to get to know us. If we have the opportunity to meet in the future, we would be excited to learn more about you. We know this is not an easy decision, and we are grateful for your consideration. We are keeping you in our thoughts and sending you strength and peace during this time. Sincerely, Luke & Cassi
By Brittany Carvalho December 1, 2024
Hello & Thank You , Our names are Zack and Lindsay, and we are so grateful that you're considering us to be a potential part of your adoption plan. We can't imagine how hard this is for you or what you're going through. We do understand there’s no way for us to truly grasp the weight of your decision, but we respect and admire your strength and courage. Through this letter and this book, we want to share a little about ourselves with you. We met in 2008, and it was love at first sight. After 6 months of dating, we got engaged and married in 2010. We knew early on in our marriage that we wanted to explore adoption to build a family, and we had lots of love to give. Over time, we grew together, strengthened our love, and prepared our lives and our home to provide a caring, nurturing environment for a new addition to our family. Our adoption journey was difficult due to our issues with infertility, but our motivation to adopt comes from a place of love and a desire to share that love by growing our family. In 2022, we were blessed with adopting a beautiful baby boy, Atlas, who is the light of our lives. It has been our privilege to watch him grow, learn, change, and develop. He’s shown us how wonderful and rewarding adoption can be, motivating us to continue our adoption journey. Atlas’s birth mom has become an integral part of our lives. We regularly share pictures and updates of all Atlas’s changes and activities, and we make sure that he’s aware that we’re sending updates to his birth mom so that as he grows, we can continue to share his adoption story with him. We feel it’s so important that Atlas’s birth mom gets to watch him develop, and we want you to know that we are open to whatever contact you would like. We are both driven and have many hobbies, including physical and outdoor activities, reading, cooking, and continuing education. For us, raising children means bringing the most important people in the world along with us on new adventures and learning new skills. We hope this book gives you a look into our lives, who we are as people, who we are as a couple, and who we are as a family. We are thinking of you and wish you well in all you do. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. Sincerely, Zack & Lindsay
By Brittany Carvalho November 30, 2024
Hello & Thank You , First, we want to thank you for taking a look into our lives and reviewing our book. We can’t even begin to understand what you are going through, but we pray that God continues to give you strength and courage through all the emotions you are feeling. We know that you are a selfless woman just by knowing that you are choosing to create an adoption plan for your child. Our names are Jose and Daniella. We met each other in 2014, and we got married in 2016. A year later, we began trying to have a child of our own. After three years of seeing a fertility doctor and seven years of trying different treatments, we were unsuccessful. Jose and I want to expand our family, and we know adoption is the answer to our prayers. We both have siblings we grew up with, and we hope that we are able to add another sibling to expand our love and family in the near future. We want you to know that your child is already loved by so many, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many more family members. We promise to raise your child with unconditional love, provide many life skills, compassion, respect, morals, and provide any education your child dreams of. We also believe in God and would love to raise your child knowing who God is. If you choose us to be part of your adoption plan, we can assure you that we will share your child’s adoption story with them from the very beginning. We will celebrate the love you have for them and honor the decision you made. Thank you once again for this opportunity to get to know us. This process has been one we prayed and cried about, as having a family of our own has been a difficult journey for us both. As you glance through our book, we pray that you see the love we share with each other, our families, our faith, and the joy we have for the future journey we have prayed about. Whichever decision you make, we want you to know that you will forever be in our prayers. Sincerely, Jose & Daniella
By Brittany Carvalho November 28, 2024
Hello & Thank You , Thank you for taking the time to view our photobook and consider us as adoptive parents for your baby. We are so excited to be adopting a baby and finally becoming parents. We know you will follow your heart and make the best choice in selecting the family for your baby to join. We are Kristin and Mark, and we have been together since November 2020, married in April 2022. When we first started dating, I shared with Mark that because of my reproductive issues, having a biological child might not be possible. He was very understanding and supportive and open to adoption as a way to start our family. Mark and I are surrounded by a huge support system on both of our sides, who cannot wait to have another child join the family. We have lots of nieces and nephews who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new cousin to play with. Our parents are looking forward to having another grandchild to spoil. Your child will be raised in a loving Christian home, guided by values of kindness, compassion, integrity, and the importance of family. They will be loved unconditionally and always have unwavering family support in all they choose to endeavor. We look forward to sharing our love of sports and music while encouraging them to explore their own passions. As we continue deepening our faith, we are committed to becoming more involved in church and look forward to attending regularly as a family. While growing up, we both dreamt of one day having our own family and a child to call us Mom and Dad. We can’t begin to understand how difficult this decision is for you. We are praying for strength and clarity during this time and know you will make the best decision. Thank you again for considering us to be the adoptive parents for your baby. It means the world to us. Sincerely, Mark & Kristin
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