Adoption Registry

How to register and post your first entry

This is written to guide you step by step through the registration and entry posting process. We suggest you read it before you register and use it as a tool as you are registering and posting entries. The suggestions here are based on knowledge of the search algorithm used to search through the entries. Questions are welcome if anything below is confusing.

Registration

1. Click on register

2. New member registration: ALL the information gathered on this page will remain private, by default, to be used for administrative purposes only. Only you can make this information public through your choices in user preferences. We will discuss this after registration and posting entries.

3. Field: “Please select an account” Leave this as the free account we are currently testing a paid account option. Donations are certainly accepted as TxCARE is a not-for-profit association of triad members working toward reform. Go to Donations (insert hyperlink) to donate.

4. Username: This will be used for your login and be shown with your entries. We will remove user names deemed inappropriate.

5. The rest of the information on this page is self explanatory. Please be honest as this information will only be used by us and will not be sold or given to any other entity.

6. The email must be kept up to date as it is the only way the system can contact you if a person writes you. The system also uses the e-mails to find lost login information and send it to you. We may send you no more than 1 e-mail a month on average about the registry and relevant information. Accounts will incorrect e-mail will be removed (as they will not serve any purpose if contact can not be made).

After registering it will take you to the first page for entry posting.

Posting a new entry

1. Choose section you want your entry to be posted in. (Most adoptees will post 2 entries... one looking for birthparents and another looking for siblings.) You will have to go through this process for each entry.

2. You only have to fill in the information you know. You can always edit the entry to add new information later.

3. If you are not the adoptee... still fill in all the information you know about the adoptee and the adoption. The adoptees information is central for the search as it is the information that most likely to match two people together. This logic is the same on all entry pages.

4. Information about the adoptee.

   1. These fields are used for the saved and advanced search. When people search these fields it is looking for exact matches. This is why we ask that you repeat this information in the description field later (which it searched on partial matches as well). This will increase the success for the search.

   2. Click “next”

5. Detailed Information About the Adoption

1. Same advice from previous page

2. Click “next”

6. Information about the family of adoptee

1. Same advice from previous 2 pages

2. Click “next”

7. Title, Description and Photo Selection

1. This one requires more explaining

2. “Entry title” Will be shown in your entry preview (when listed with other entries) and at the top of your entry. This field is searchable and allows for partial matching. This field could also be seen as a teaser for the person you are looking for (i.e. Put something there that you think would attract people looking for you)... this could be basic information such as “Girl Born 3-3-70 - Edna Gladney Home - Fort Worth, Texas “ or something more personal.

3. “Entry description” This information will be displayed with your entry. This field is searchable and allows for partial matching. We strongly suggest you repeat all the information you have already entered (from previous entry pages) in this field to increase the success rate of searches. This is also a place to add a personal message and to place information that could assist someone searching for you that we have not already covered... in short you need to place everything in this field you want to be used in your search. You must use at least 100 characters in this field and your limit is 10,000 characters. Remember someone is reading this... so make it informative while not sharing information that could be abused.

   1. Another piece of information to keep in mind for the description field is that the first 200 characters will be shown in the Entry preview.

Template suggestion for Description field (feel free to remove any questions you did not answer): You only have to fill in the information you know. You can always edit the entry to add new information later.

(Message)

Name of adoptee after adoption? (first) (last)

Name of adoptee before adoption? (only if different)

Birthdate of Adoptee? Month: Day: Year:

State of birth?

City of birth?

County of Birth?

Gender of Adoptee?

Name of adoption agency?

Name of adoption Attorney?

Date of Adoption? Month: Day: Year:

State of Adoption?

City of Adoption?

County of Adoption?

Name of adoptive mother? (first) (last)

Name of adoptive father? (first) (last)

Name of birth mother? (first) (last)

Name of birth father? (first) (last)

(Additional information not covered)

(Message)

4. Adding Photos (optional)

1. All free accounts will receive 50KB of image storage and a maximum of 5 images

2. The best images are head shots and will usually need to be shrunk to fit the size requirements. You really only need one picture... a good head shot.

ALL photos will be reviewed prior to posting... any attempt to post indecent photos will result in removal of your entries, registration, and banning you from our site.

ALL entries have a “report this entry” link which can be used by anyone to report inappropriate entries. All reports will be reviewed by an administrator and appropriate action will be taken.

5. Click “Next”

8. Preview your ad before submitted

   Review and click “post ad now”

9. IT will now show that your entry is under review.

10. Congratulations... you posted your first entry in the Adoption Registry Database. You can post up to 5 entries by going to “my control panel” and clicking on “post entry”.