If you’ve been searching for your birth parents—or yearning to understand the story of your beginnings—you’re not alone. The search for your origins can bring both hope and heartache, questions and quiet courage, but it’s also a journey toward truth, healing, and belonging. At Trace, we understand the deeply personal nature of this search and believe that every person deserves to know where they come from. Through compassion, expertise, and the powerful tools of DNA and genealogy, we help transform uncertainty into discovery and connection into understanding.
For many adoptees, the question “Who are my birth parents?” carries a weight that’s hard to put into words. It’s more than curiosity, it’s a longing to understand where you come from, to see reflections of yourself in another face, to fill in the missing pages of your life story.
Yet for many who were adopted, that story begins with unanswered questions. Records may be sealed, names may be unknown, and the trail can feel impossibly cold. It can be a lonely kind of wondering, the kind that stretches across years, shaped by love for the family who raised you and the quiet ache to know the family who gave you life.
At Trace, we understand that search. Every adoption story is unique, but they share a common truth: every person deserves to know their story. Whether you’re hoping to find your birth mother, your birth father, or both, the tools of genealogy and DNA science have opened doors that once seemed permanently closed. What once depended on luck or circumstance can now be approached with knowledge, structure, and compassion.
- You were adopted and have limited or no access to your original records.
- You’ve taken a DNA test — but aren’t sure what to do next.
- You’ve found possible matches, yet can’t confirm relationships.
- You’re ready to understand your origins and connect with your biological family.
If you said yes to any of the above, then keep reading.
Modern genealogy offers adoptees something extraordinary—the ability to bridge the gap between identity and ancestry, even when traditional records are missing. Through the combined power of DNA testing and historical research, it’s now possible to reconstruct family lines, identify birth relatives, and uncover the deeper story of your beginnings.
DNA testing plays a vital role in many adoptee searches. For someone seeking their birth parents, a single DNA test can reveal an entire network of genetic relatives you never knew existed. Every shared segment of DNA represents a thread connecting you to your biological family. By carefully analyzing those relationships, you can begin to identify which matches belong to your birth mother’s side, which to your birth father’s, and how those lines intersect.
But the magic of genealogy goes far beyond the science. Genealogical research brings those results to life, placing them within the broader context of family histories, migration patterns, naming traditions, and the human stories that connect generations. Genealogy doesn’t just tell you who your birth parents might be; it helps you understand the lives they lived, the choices they made, and the history that ultimately led to you.
For adoptees, this process can be deeply transformative. It replaces mystery with meaning and gives form to a history you’ve always felt but never known. The goal isn’t just to find names—it’s to understand the full story of your family, both past and present, and to discover your place within it.
If you’re an adoptee ready to take charge of your search for your birth parents, DNA Academy: Genetic Genealogy for Beginners & Intermediate Learners was built to help you do just that.
Created by Trace’s professional genealogists, experts who have guided countless adoptees through DNA discoveries and biological family research, DNA Academy is a comprehensive, self-paced course that teaches you how to make sense of your DNA results and use them effectively in your search.
The course offers clear instruction and practical exercises that allow you to learn by doing. You’ll develop the ability to interpret DNA matches, recognize family clusters, and understand how those patterns can point toward your birth relatives. Every lesson is grounded in real-world genealogical methods and supported by decades of professional experience.
The program is flexible and designed to fit your life. You can move at your own pace and revisit the material as often as needed. By the end of the course, you’ll know how to approach your search with strategy and empathy, turning raw data into human connection. You’ll also gain insight into the emotional and ethical dimensions of adoption research, ensuring your search is guided by both integrity and respect.
DNA Academy doesn’t promise instant results when you’re trying to find your birth parents, but it does give you the tools and understanding to navigate the journey with purpose, confidence, and hope. For many adoptees, that’s when uncertainty finally begins to give way to clarity.
Growing up adopted, you may have felt a piece of your identity missing. Sealed records. Fragmented memories. Records you can’t access. You may have wondered: “Who am I? Where did I come from? Can I ever know my biological family?”
This course offers you a path forward. Instead of guessing or waiting, you’ll use proven DNA techniques and genealogical research to turn possibilities into real connections. Because your story deserves clarity, your identity deserves roots—and your heart deserves connection.
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When adoption records are sealed, DNA becomes the most reliable path to truth.
An autosomal DNA test analyzes the 22 pairs of chromosomes you inherit from both biological parents. This test reveals genetic connections across your full family tree — on both maternal and paternal sides.
With autosomal DNA testing you can:
Even in closed adoptions, DNA opens doors that documents cannot. It connects you with real people who share your biological heritage.
Each DNA company maintains a unique user-database. Your closest genetic match might be on one platform, but not on another.
That’s why testing (or uploading your raw DNA data) across multiple platforms dramatically increases your chances.
Why this matters:
In this course, we’ll show you how to interpret results for the most reliable outcomes.
By the end of this course, you’ll walk away equipped with the skills, clarity and confidence to continue your search — whether you do it yourself or work with a professional.
You will know how to:
You’ll no longer feel lost or stuck. You’ll have a clear roadmap, proven methods and the support to move forward.
Format: Self-paced online modules, downloadable guides, worksheets and video walkthroughs
Who it’s for: Adult adoptees ready to learn actionable steps and engage with the research process
What to bring: Your DNA test results (if taken) and your adoption information (even if minimal)*
Download our free guide — Finding Biological Roots Through DNA: A Guide for Adoptees — and start learning how DNA testing can uncover your family connections even before you begin the course.
Searching for your birth parents is never just about filling in the blanks on a family tree. It’s about reclaiming a part of yourself. It’s about seeing your own story through a wider lens, one that honors both the family who raised you and the one that came before. For many adoptees, discovering their birth parents brings not just answers, but healing, closure, and connection.
At Trace, we believe genealogy can be that bridge between past and present. It’s a way to uncover the truth of your beginnings and to understand the people who shaped your existence long before you knew their names. Whether you pursue this journey independently through DNA Academy or later choose to collaborate with a professional genealogist, you don’t have to walk it alone. Trace exists to guide your search with compassion, skill, and understanding because your story matters.
If you’re ready to start discovering the story of your birth family, take the first step today. Enroll in DNA Academy: Genetic Genealogy for Beginners & Intermediate Learners and learn how to interpret your DNA, understand family networks, and uncover connections that lead to your birth parents.
Your story began long before you ever knew it. With the guidance of DNA and genealogy, you can finally begin to write the chapter that’s been missing.
You’ve lived with unanswered questions, perhaps wondering “Why am I here? Where do I come from?” Or perhaps you’ve looked at a DNA match and felt hope — and confusion.
You deserve more than speculation. You deserve answers and understanding. This isn’t just a course. It’s a chance to reclaim your story.
Let’s begin together.