Kentucky Search Tip

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Anne in Kentucky" is how she signs her emails, and she has generously offered to share her personal search tips with others searching in Blue Grass country. Thanks, Anne!
For adoptees searching in Kentucky, I am sending the following information. I have done so much research and I hope this will save lots of time for those beginning to search. This could be rather long, but for those searching in Kentucky I think it could be of some help to you.

For those in other states, you might check to see if the Health Department published these books in your state also.

Records of Births and Deaths

From 1911 to 1970, the Health Department put out hardcover books each year, or sometimes two years at a time, with records of births and deaths in every County in Kentucky. Even children who were to be placed for adoption immediately after birth are listed in these book, with the birthmother's maiden name.

The state ordered a halt to production and distribution of these books once they discovered people could find too much information this way. They asked all libraries to shred the books, but they did not order it. A few libraries and, from what I have been told, a few small county archives, still have them.

I only found out about the books from someone who does a lot of genealogy research. She lives in Kentucky and was in one of the genealogy chat rooms.

(For all adoptees searching, I think finding a person in your state who does genealogy research can lead you to public records that you might not otherwise know about.)

The Kentucky Genealogy Museum, in Bowling Green, and the Louisville Public Library (the main branch on Main Street) still have these books. The Librarian at the Louisville Library told me a lot of pages have been ripped out of their books, but the Museum in Bowling Green has good books with very few pages missing, if any, according to them. (I use their books and have never seen a missing page yet.)

Births are recorded in alphabetical order by the given birth child's name. If you have the last name of your birth parents, you can look up that name, match either your date of birth or birth certificate number and find your given birth name and your birth mother's first name and maiden name, and the county of your birth.

Birth Certificate Number Stays The Same

In the state of Kentucky, up until 1970 (I am not sure of what they do from that date on), an adopted child's birth certificate was only amended, and the original birth certificate number they where born with is the birth certificate number they will always have. If you have no birthparent name, but have the time and desire to really search, you can take the book from the year you were born and search each page till you find the matching birth certificate number.

I have talked to a few people who have done this. It took them a few weeks or months, but they did find their birthparent name as well as their given birth name.

Vital Records on Microfilm and Online

All vital statistic records (marriage, divorce, death, births) are public record in Kentucky. Most all libraries have these on microfilm. Records of marriages and divorces are available from 1973 to present. Before 1973, you have to go to the state archives microfilm file, where the records date from 1911 to present.

The University of Kentucky web site has these records online (except for births). They are working now at getting those online also.

Other Options

You can petition the courts to open your adoption records, but most judges will not allow them to be opened unless it's for a very necessary medical reason. They are still not allowing adoption records opened just for finding birth family.

For $250.00 you can request non-id information from the Cabinet of Human Resources in Frankfort, KY. This will not contain any medical information unless the birthparent listed any and agreed at the time of adoption that the birth child could have it.

They claim they will try and contact the birthparent at the last given address to see they can give you all the information they have and that, if they can not contact the birthparent, they will give you their last known address.

My adopted brother tried this, and he was not given anything but his non-id information. A few others online have told me they were only given non-id also. No one I have spoken with was happy with what they received from the state, but it is each person's choice to make.
Court Transcripts

Up until the mid 1960's, transcripts of the court hearings for the parental rights relinquished were also a matter of public record. They can be found in the county of birth, but I found it was easier, with fewer questions asked, to find them at the State Archives. (If you go the State Archives, or even a County Archive, it's best to not mention the word adoption.)

The transcript contains the birthparents' names and places of residence, as well as — in my case — many of the facts of the adoption.

These are bit harder to find. It means finding the court docket number first, then going to the actual hand-written court books with the court order. If you know the agency that handled your adoption, you can find these with a little time, as the court dockets usually show the agency ad litem for the child.

In the mid 60s, these records were included in the sealed documents but, for those born before this date, there is much there you can find concerning your adoption.

Good luck to everyone searching, and Kentucky adoptees searching also!

~ Anne in Kentucky

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