How best to use the NY birth index?

Question

Is there a way to use an entry in the NY birth index to identify the parents?   Or is it just a matter of hunting and pecking until a match is found with the same index number on the far right?  

"New York, Birth Indexes outside of New York City, 1881-1942", database, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F6W-S58R : 14 May 2022), Catherine A Lacey, 1894.

Comments

She looks to match a 1900 census entry listed as Kate A. Lacey, same birth age, also in Clinton County, NY.  Listed as living with her grandparents (Mac Donald) with other grandchildren (siblings?).

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS6G-1KV

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Yes, we suspect the same, and finding the birth parents would eliminate all doubts.   Because of the 3 Lacey grandchildren in the census, Catherine McDonald is likely my Great great grandmother, Catherine Lacey.  Her husband James passed in 1888 and her trail goes cold after the1892 (?) NY census.   One of her children, Peter, passed in 1895, and we have a marriage record of a Catherine Lacey, daughter of Peter.   So there seems to be a high likelihood that the 1900 Kate A. Is the same person.

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It seems very likely.  Irona is a hamlet in the Town of Altona. Many towns in NY kept their own copies of records.  Altona has their historian listed with her contact info on their website (under Government) and there is also a basic request form for genealogical information on the historian's page here . It's worth a try if you haven't already contacted there and even if they don't have the birth record they may have other additional information that can help piece the family together.

Answer 1

The number can be used, along with $22 and about a two year wait, to get the birth record from the state.

I'd also suggest census records soon after. Also newspapers such as fultonhistory.com.

Each town has a town historian. Some are great. I was able to get some information from them for my ancestors,