MyHeritage Launches 3rd DNA Quest Initiative



It gives us great pleasure to announce the launch of a third installment of DNA Quest, our worldwide pro bono initiative to reunite adoptees with their birth families through genetic testing. As part of this installment, we are donating 5,000 free DNA kits to adoptees and people seeking family members placed for adoption.

Learn more and apply on the DNA Quest website.

About DNA Quest

DNA Quest was initially launched in March 2018 and extended the following year, with 20,000 free DNA kits donated to adoptees and people seeking family members placed for adoption. As a result, countless reunions took place across the globe and many lives were forever changed for the better. We are now relaunching the project an additional 5,000 free DNA kits.

Adoptees often encounter multiple barriers when embarking on the search for their biological families. For some, at-home DNA testing offers the only hope of getting answers to their profound questions about who they are and where they come from. For many, time is of the essence the search for biological family, as each year the older relatives they are seeking pass away. Especially given today’s economic climate, we are launching this third installment of DNA Quest to ensure that the cost of DNA testing does not prevent these individuals from discovering their origins and finding their biological family members.

MyHeritage is home to one of the largest and fastest-growing DNA databases in the industry, with more than 6.5 million individuals. Since the previous installment of DNA Quest, our DNA database has nearly tripled in size. Given that many adoptions take place internationally, MyHeritage’s DNA test is ideal for adoptees seeking biological family, thanks to the company’s vast international footprint. With every person who takes a MyHeritage DNA test or uploads DNA data to MyHeritage, the chances of finding biological family members increase.

While some DNA Quest beneficiaries found their birth families immediately upon receiving their DNA results, others continue to make new discoveries even now, years after the initiative was first launched. The past year saw a particularly high number of reunions, thanks to the lifting of COVID-related travel restrictions that allowed families to finally reunite in person.

How it works

Eligibility 

Anyone in the world over the age of 18 who was involved in an adoption-related event or has a close relative who was placed for adoption is welcome to apply.

Individuals who applies for DNA Quest in the past and were placed on a waitlist are welcome to reapply.

If you have already taken a DNA test, there is no need to take another test – you can upload your DNA data to MyHeritage for free. Learn more about the advantages of uploading your DNA data to MyHeritage and find instructions on how to do so in this article on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base.

Application process

To apply, visit dnaquest.org and click “Apply,” and fill out the form. Application will be accepted until March 17, 2023, and decisions will be made approximately one month after the deadline. You’ll receive an email informing you of a decision regarding your application. The DNA kits will be mailed out shortly thereafter.

Summary

DNA Quest is an expression of MyHeritage’s support for the adoptee community and our core belief that everyone, everywhere, has a right to know their roots. It is our hope that relaunching DNA Quest and offering free DNA kits to those who need them will create many more happy endings for biological family members search for each other.

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