Researching an Adoption
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How much information you will find in our library
will depend on if the adoption was closed or open and the year
that the adoption took place. Every case is different, but here
are some places you can look for information.
Chancery Court Records for the years 1856-1959
are in books located on shelves in the center of the lower level.
This is the court where most adoptions took place during the early
years of Manatee County. The amount of information in these books
varies from case to case.
Official Records are where adoptions were
filed beginning in 1959. These are located on the east wall of
the upper level. The indexes are in the center of the upper level.
Again, the amount of information will vary from case to case and
a lot will depend on if the adoption was closed or open. If the
case is closed, the adoptee, the adoptive parents, or the natural
parents can petition the court to open the files. Once the name
of the adoptee, adoptive parents or birth parents is known, then
follow the guidelines for Searching for a Person.
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