[Avodah] Adoptive vs Birth Parents

[Cantor Wolberg]

For purposes of halacha I was under the impression the relationship is  
the same as one between biological parents and children, (and if the  
biological parents are unknown
then there should be a conversion).
However, according to Sota 49a the biblical obligation to honor one's  
parents applies only to biological parents, not to adoptive parents.
And yet Megilla 13a states: "Whoever raises an orphaned boy or girl in  
his home is viewed by the Torah as if he himself had brought the child  
into the world."
Sh'mos Rabbah 456 asserts that God possesses treasuries from which he  
rewards the righteous, and amongst these treasuries there is a special  
treasury reserved
for those who take in and raise orphaned children.  And it is proper  
for an adopted child to say kaddish for his adoptive parents,  
especially if they expressed the desire
for their adoptive child to say kaddish.

It would seem to me that if the biological parents have abandoned  
their baby, the child has no obligation to seek them out.

I'm sure there will be much disagreement, however.
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