Closing Arguments: Open Adoption Records?

I think if the biological parent has made no effort, in later years, to pursue information about the child that it should not be simple to find ones biological parents.

I am a birthmother that has been in touch with the child that I placed for adoption. I personally think that open records is the way to go. Although I am not currently in contact with my daughter, neither of us regrets making contact, and having our questions answered. I have been able to update medical information for her, and I found out that she has a wonderful family, like I was promised she would have. That took a load off of my heart to know she was happy in her family.

As the mother of two adopted children, I think adoption records should be open to allow adoptees to find their biological parents if they so desire.

I personally think that it should be easy for a person adopted out to be able to find thier parents. My mother was adopted out, And she has tried to find her natural mother, With no luck. I have a problem with blood clots, and so does my sister. A few of my neices do as well. It would be nice to know exactly what has been passed down from generation to generation. If not make it easy for them to find thier real parents, Then atleast for the medical part of it.

I am an adoptee who searched and found her biological parents in 1967–long before it was fashionable or at all supported by society.
I support open record laws for all 50 states. My search was conducted in Florida which at the time had a law requiring my records be kept in “perpetuity” and allowing me to legally inherit from my biological parents.
I did in fact inherit $10,000 from my biological mother. I used it to get my Master’s degree in Information Science.
My mother was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Tennessee in the 1930′s. I like to think I inherited her brains and her maverick ways.

I believe that everyone has a right to know who their parents are. If someone has the right to birth a baby, that baby, as an adult, has the right to know from whence she/he came — if only to know medical information.

i was adopted at 2 months, in 1958. i know exactly what this lady has been going through. i am in Texas. i am planning to petition the district court in Austin, TX to have my court records unsealed. at my age, 50, time is becoming a factor. my birth mom and birth dad may not be alive anymore. i only hope that i have natural siblings. i wish only success for her and i hope she gets to meet her unseen family. i think that in this day and age, the birth family would be forgiving and would accept her to their fold.
Kenneth Trochta El Campo, Texas

I’ve had a lot of personal experience with this topic. Some days I regret finding out who they were and other days I’m glad that I knew who they were. It’s a very split emotion. I was very glad to find out their medical background so I would have some knowledge of what to expect in my elder years, but to find out how I got into the situation of adoption to begin with, was extremely difficult to process. I was glad to “meet” my siblings but was afraid that it would alienate my adopted siblings. I believe that adoptions are closed for a reason and that it should remain so unless the child petitions the courts.

Yes, I think records should be open.My son recently contacted me after 36 years and it was very painful at first, but I think the truth shall set you free.

I THINK EVERY PERSON HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW WERE THEY COME FROM.THERE ARE MANY RESONS PEOPLE DO THINGS RIGHT OR WRONG,BUT NOT BEING ALOUD TO KNOW WERE YOUR LIFE BEGAIN IS SAD.

I sincerely hope other states follow suit! Adoptees have a right to know their medical history. This is probably one of the main reason most of them search.

I think ALL states should open the adoption records to any person who has been adopted. I am 62 yrs. old and never knew who my bio-father was. My Mother would not tell me, and went to elaborate means to keep me from following a trail. My step-father adopted me when I was a young teen ager, and my original records are sealed. I was born in CA. and the order of adoption and the sealing of my original birth certificate, is in MO. Who could it possibly hurt now? My mom and step dad are long dead, and my biological parent probably is too. In my entire life I’ve never felt like I belonged anyplace or to anyone. It trul-
y has made my life very difficult. I want to know who he was and where I came from, but at this point, I don’t feel that will ever happen.
y

Records should and MUST be opened!
I am a 57 year old adoptee born and adopted in NYS June, 1951. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 47. From the little information given to me by the adoption agency, Louise Wise, I know that my biological grandmother died at or around age 47 shortly after undergoing “a serious surgical procedure.”  Did she die of breast cancer?  Did my mother also have breast cancer at some point in her life?  I will never know because there are no updated medical records available to me.  I have a 31 year old daughter and a 25 year old son who deserve to know if there have been THREE generations of breast cancer before them.  Additionally, I currently have other serious, undiagnosed illnesses, for which access to my medical history is of paramount importance, even life-saving.
I have utilized every available means that NYS law has to offer to try and locate my biological medical information.  My physician and I petitioned the surrogate court in Brooklyn, and were denied.  I tried to hire private investigators, which would have cost me thousands of dollars to obtain information, but due to the details of my adoption, no one wants to take my case.
Why am I not able to ensure the health of my family, the way all other citizens of this country can do? Why do we have to continue living with the unknown simply because we are adopted and are governed by antiquated laws that desperately need to be changed? Opening records is not about facilitating reunions–good or bad—its about giving adult adoptees the same rights every other citizen of this country has. Medical history is generally free to Americans, except for adoptees who under the current law must have a serious physical or mental illness and then have to pay a court appointed attorney $2000. This is outrageous and unfair. The health and well-being of adopted persons is totally disreguarded.
Adoptees have been called members of “a witness protection program we didn’t ask to be in.” When adopted, our birth certificate bearing our original names and parents, were sealed, our identities were wiped out and we were issued new certificates. Why is it a crime punishable by law, to falsify any other kind of US or State document, but it is OK to wipe out, falsify and forever seal a person’s record of birth?
Records are not sealed at relinquishment, but later, at the time of adoption. This means that they aren’t sealed to preserve the anonymity of the birth family but to erase the child’s past (with all that the erasure implies), as well as to protect the adoptive family from intrusion.
In addition, belief in the myth that mothers who have relinquished their children do not want to meet them has made the United States a virtual dinosaur, regarding granting adoptees their records. Germany, England, Scotland, Wales, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland allow adoptees access to their original birth certificates. So do Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and provinces of Canada. Ours is almost the only industrialized country that denies adopted adults knowledge of who they are.
Closed records laws are an outrageous violation of the Constitution in that they deprive a class of people (adoptees) of a basic civil right available to every other citizen who is not a member of this class — that is, the opportunity to go to the vital records department of the state in which they were born, pay the required fee and receive a copy of their birth certificate. It is unfathomable to me and millions of people in this country how these archaic and unfair laws have remained on the books for so long. Clearly, they were enacted at a time when society believed, first and foremost, that it needed to protect adoptive families from the intrusion of birth families and, second, to protect adoptees from the stigma of learning they were “illegitimate.”
The only way to truly restore the rights of adult adoptees to their birthright and current medical histories as well as their true identity, is to pass legislation which give them the same right as every other American citizen.
Is there any truth to the many myths that have been propagated regarding open records?  No legitimate promise of anonymity was ever made at any time to any birth parent, and no written evidence of such promises exists. Both the TN and OR State Supreme Courts have ruled that birth parents were not promised perpetual confidentiality.
The abortion/adoption connection is completely mythical. In states with open records, the abortion rate is consistently LOWER than in states where records remain closed to adopted persons. Also, conversely, states with open records typically have HIGHER adoption rates than closed states.
Has there been an increase in divorce rates for women who never told their husbands? There have been no verified reports of divorces caused by adoptee reunions.
And mothers who have made it clear that they don’t want to meet their child, have NOT been harassed. Adoptees do not stalk parents who do not want contact. Adoptees are not looking for new parents. They also are not insensitive. Adoptees would NOT go barging into their biological parents lives. They have dealt with feelings of rejection their entire lives, they certainly would not do anything to cause an even deeper feeling of rejection firsthand.
Research such as the Evan B. Donaldson report, has shown that no adopted person in any state with open records has caused harm to any birth parent.  I am not a criminal and should NOT be treated as one just because I want to have the same RIGHTS as every NON-adopted person. They have the right to have access to the document which shows their true birth. I should also have that right.
Plus, as Adam Pertman, director of the Adoption Institute, recently said. “IF people are fearful of an adoptee who might harass a reluctant birth mother, there ARE restraining orders. But to put a restraining order against an ENTIRE CLASS of people is unfair!!”
A recent study has been published entitled, “The Only Americans Legally Prohibited From Knowing Who Their Birth Parents Are: A Rejection of Privacy Rights as a Bar to Adult Adoptees’ Access to Original Birth and Adoption Record.” This study reviews the reasons that some courts have upheld the statutory bars to adult adoptee access to birth and adoption records and the legal foundations for supporting access. This 33-page article, published in the Cleveland State Law Review (Volume 55, Issue 3), explores the concept of constitutional privacy and the categories of privacy currently recognized in American law, concluding that birthparent privacy interests are an insufficient basis for blocking adoptee access. It also reviews some recent judicial and legislative approaches supporting this conclusion.
In addition, research has shown that the number of birth mothers not wanting contact is tiny. Most welcome, and long for contact. However, those who do not want contact are better served by open records. States that granted adoptees access to their original birth certificates have built in vehicles enabling birth parents to let their children know if and how they want to meet. No violations have been reported.
In states with closed records, parents who prefer no contact have no means to make their wishes known. And though it may be hard in states with closed records to find family, it is still being done, resulting in unplanned and possible devastating results.  The NYS adoption reform bill delineates a “contact preference” whereby birth mothers can clearly state whether or not they want contact. And if ‘no contact’ is desired, this will be upheld and they would, at the least, supply updated medical information to the adoptee.
Adoptees do not “search” just out of idle curiosity. Adoptees are in dire need of accurate, complete, and updated medical and genetic information. Lives are depending on it.  Lives versus privacy; in my mind, there is just no comparison. We as adoptees do not have a right to reunion; we DO have a right to our own records.
I feel we all have a moral obligation to look at historical judgments and correct them if they were made in violation of personal rights. The practice of sealed records in adoptions denies the adopted person their birth rights. They have the right to know who their biological parents were, the right to know what their racial and ethnic background was and the right to know about their family medical history. Depriving a human being of life-saving medical information is not only unconstitutional, but it is immoral and unconscionable. Why do I have to cry myself to sleep whenever I think of how helpless I feel by not being able to secure my own health or the health of my family the way most parents are able to do. LAWS NEED TO BE CHANGED!

It was obvious that the birth mother did not want to be contacted over the phone and was not emotionally able to comprehend it. Should Cynthia have cared more than her “instant gratification” and disregarded the advice to write and not call, she may have had a chance at a relationship. She had to apologize several times because she realized that it was a mistake to call.
If all adoptions were open, then what would be the point? Or what would the point of foster care be? Would they just automatically be adopted out because all information is public?

I think it should be based on the logical parent dection if they wont contact of there son or daughter.

I was born in 1954 and to this day I have longed to know my mother’s face. Did my father have squinty eyes? Why do I love music?
A registry should be set up where birth parents can check to see if their child has inquired about them. Can you imagine those email conversations? What a glorious day for thousands that would be!

I alsio think that they been into separate way’s for to long and alsio where was the parent when he or she graudated or got married or went to his or her play’s

Having been involved on both ends, I feel that records should not be sealed. Each of us have the right to say no if approached. But, life has many challenges and having closure to issues can be very freeing, even tho painful for a season. There are places in the heart that remain, even if they are never exposed. Outcomes are not always ideal, but neither are some beginnings. Each individual must remain true to their own heart, and not be left with the “if only” thoughts.

I was adopted at birth into a multi-cultural family with parents the same age as my biological grandparents. I began my search at age 18. I am now 21 and my anniversary of meeting my biological mother in person is coming up this September 8th. It was easy for me to connect with my biological family because my bio-grandparents’s doctor is related to my adoptive family. When I called my uncle and got their number, I called and spoke with my bio-grand parents and I obtained their address however they would not give me information of my mother. In fact, they never told her I was trying to contact her. A year later, my adoptive mother and I hired an investigator, I gave her the address I had obtained, and it took her a few days to trace down my biological mother who, ironically, lives in a military town an hour north of where I have family in North Carolina. I vacationed for 10 years at a beach town in south eastern North Carolina. I had met some US Marines who were stationed at Camp Lejeune which is where my mother and my four younger half siblings live. After writing her a letter, she got up the courage to call me and we spoke for 8 hours where, in an instant, my siblings found out they had an older sister. I now live 30 minutes from them and attend school in the same town. We all have a great relationship!
So, for me, it was easy to connect with her. However, I believe it is much too hard for some people to find their biological family. I think information should be required from the biological mother AT THE LEAST so when the child is of age, they can go to the court house or wherever and find maybe a note from the mother to the child with her information OR a note saying that “this is your medical information, but my family does not know about you and I want to keep it that way. I Love you but we have all moved on” or something of that nature. I just wish it was easier for my adoptive friends to have their medical information at their disposal. I think it should be required to give medical information to the adoptive family because, that at the least, is the most important. It is selfish and unfair to have a terrible medical condition and not give any kind of upper hand. As an adopted child, we deserve to know our medical/family history… we deserve to know if we have siblings… and if our parents drank or did some kind of drug(s) during time the baby was conceived or during the pregnancy. We simply deserve to know! More importantly, our future children deserve to know!
I could speak a lot more on the adoption topic, but it wouldn’t be exactly on this subject. I did my senior project on adoption so I’ve done a lot of research and what not. Thank you for doing a story like this. It really hit home for me….

In reading some of he posts I noticed that many of the people posting have referred to the biological parents as the “real” parents. The “real” parents are the ones that raised the children! The “biological parents” gave them the opportunity to be “real” parents. I am the mother of 2 children who were adopted and I pray I get to meet their biological parents someday so that I may thank them for giving me the greatest gift I’ve ever been given! To my children’s birthparents: Thank you! You’ve always been portrayed in a very positive way. I would welcome your meeting these very special children.

This is for sure a tough one. I too can see both sides, you don’t want to ruin her life but need your health ?’s and so forth answered. Not all are respectful enough to respect the mothers privacy or care and I think the laws are in place to protect both parties. Its a tough call since there is no way to allow questions to be answered without also allowing those bad seeds in who would wrecklessly ruin the life of the biological mother without regards. Adoption is a tough choice and I think she has enough to deal with just having it on her heart. the one for the child though is the health issues, of course you have questions and such on other issues but I think it can be too dangerous not knowing where you come from, medical issues and so forth. God bless all involved on either side!

I ‘gave up’ a baby for adoption a long, long time ago. The reasons are many, and mainly irrelevant here anyway. Point is, I did so because I genuinely believed at the time I was doing the best possible thing for the baby… A view I have not changed, nor regretted, some 34 or so years later. It was ALWAYS all about what was best for the baby! Still is. That was the only gift I had to offer at the time, a chance for a decent life. A chance. I hope that turned out to be the case.
I would, however, if asked, provide medical info, there being significant medical events in my own life, and family past. The ‘child’ does, in my humble opinion, have a ‘right’,moral or legal, I can’t say, but in some way, a right, to know what to watch out for. I ‘owe’ this much. And I would provide it, if I only knew how. Where I live, and where the adoption took place, records remain sealed, so far as I know. (Ia and Ill) I have signed up, once, on a web listing to connect adopted children and biological parents, but nothing ever came of it. As the ‘father’, I understand that normally, it is the ‘mother’ that gets hunted down, NOT the ‘father’. That’s OK with me… It’s not about my personal feelings. It’s not a ‘contest’ to see who, the ‘mother’ or ‘father’ is more important to this ‘child’. It’s all about the info that is missing from this now adult person’s medical records. Anything beyond this that this ‘child’ may want to know would be his to ask, not mine to volunteer.
I would support new laws which make it easier to connect this info with those who have it with those who need it. I understand why many would prefer to remain unknown. Future adoptions should, if they don’t already, have the biological parents fill out a form with as much medical info as possible at the time. Problem with this is: One: Often, one ‘parent’ may not even know about it, (the ‘father’) and two: much medical stuff may not show up until many years or even decades later on. In my own case, I am now 100% disabled with MS. This is something an adopted child ought to know about. I also got my life straightened out, got married, and had kids. Half sisters to this child of so long ago. Does he have any ‘right’ to know about them? Does he even want to know this? I don’t have answers. My young daughters DO know that there is the possibility of a half brother out there somewhere. (There was, and remains, reasonable doubt as to the actual parentage. Nonetheless, I got the ‘credit’ for the child, mine or not. I didn’t duck it, I accepted it, and I pushed for adoption, knowing that at the time, it was the best thing I had to offer. I didn’t know if I was going to be spending a lot of time in prision back then… It was a very real possibility then. I didn’t, and eventually got my life back on track. And, except for being sick, my life now is pretty much what I would have hoped for. It just all came too late for that child. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong mother. I am not looking for a relationship with this child… if he is even mine… I don’t have that right, I gave it up when I gave him up. And I’m OK with that. Mostly. (I do sometimes wonder, how it all worked out for him, and if he even wonders about who I am)
So, to summarize, I would welcome somewhat more open laws… but not necessarily too much more open. It should be possible, (More openness, that is) based upon the wants and needs of each individual situation, and medical info SHOULD be able to be made available, and update-able.
Sincerely:
Chris Mills
Iowa

AS A WOMAN WHO GAVE UP A CHILD FOR ADOPTION I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE EASIER TO FIND THE BIRTH PARENTS. MY SON AND I SEARCHED FOR EACH OTHER FOR YEARS AND FINNALLY FOUND EACH OTHER BY LUCK ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I ONLY WISH IT COULD HAVE BEEN SOONER.

I was adopted 54 years ago. I never searched for my biological mother for the same reasons the woman in your program didn’t. I didn’t want to cause pain to my adopted parents or my biological parents. But my heart aches to know my history and my biological family. My wish for all adopted children and their biological parents is that there would be a way, when the child becomes an adult, to be able to make a connection if desired. There should be a way for the agency that handled the adoption (or some other agency) to be able to contact the parent or child to inquire if there was an interest in meeting. I bet my biological mother would like to know that I grew up well, have been married for 33 years, and have two successful children and a precious grandchild!

Promises of confidentuality were made to birth mothers when they chose to give up their children. Promises were also made to families who chose to adopt those kids. While a decision to open records now would seem to be a monumental betrayal to both parties, the decision should be made by the person to whom no promises were made, the only person who had no choice, the adoptee. It is way past time for us to have a voice.

Yes I do feel records should not be sealed once a person is over 18 yrs. old. Iam 58 and have found out non identifing information. But I also just learned I have two 1/2 brothers we have the same mother. It’s kind of unsetteling not to know your true heritage and almost like a torture to have this withheld. I espically want to know for my own children and be able to give them some background history. If we can get the City of NY to unseal records that would be a dream come true. I to had cancer with no family medical history to look back upon I feel it made it more difficult.To anyone who is interesed records from Louise
Wise service are now with Spence Chapin in NYC I was given a bit more informationfrom them than Louise Wise.

I am 70yrs old and was adopted in Iowa in 1937,my daughter is 40 yrs old and was adopted in Tulsa Ok in 1966.
we both would like to have records opened so we can know about our birth parents, Maria says I would just like to find someone who looks like me. I was told a ‘story” about my parents incleding that they both died at an early age My four biological sons would also like to know about their bio grandparents Obviously my parents would have passed by now but Maria would love to have information about her parents. I would be so happy just to satisfy my curiosity and know something about my health history.If Oklahoma and Iowa made those records available we would both be so happy.

To all the birthparents out there who would like to leave medical information for your biological children, please contact the adopton agency that handled the child’s adoption and give them any medical information you have available. Some of the agencies will contact the adopted parents or have this information available if the birth children inquire about non-identifying information. Thank you!

The adoptees I know not only need medical information but some closure for their feelings of rejection. I also know adoptees who were so totally mismatched with their adopted parents it was a nightmare for all concerned. Adoptees and the parents who adopt them need to know all they can so they can be successful families. I have been a foster parent for over 40 years and one of my hardest lessons was YOU CAN’T CHANGE GENETICS ANY MORE THAN YOU CAN MAKE THE CHILDREN GROW HORNS. I was luckier with my adopted daughter as I raised her mother and knew her sperm donor for 2 years before he disappeared. She was a nightmare in her teens but as I knew alcoholism ran in both sides of her biologic family I knew I had to try to arm her against the same fate. Knowledge may sometime be painful, but it beats the alternative.

I am an adoptee that has searched for my birth parents x 35 years. I have never found them. I should be able to have open records to know all information available. Adoption is a $4.1 billion industry. As long as its controlled by secrecy which protects the flow of money, there will be very few open records. Open records is a right….

Needing Medical history is very important for both sides of adoption. I had brain surgery three years ago and Doctor said it is highly possible all sibling will have this problem. Can’t find any links to inform them.

I AM 59 YEAR’S OLD,AMD HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.I FEEL I HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW MY BIOLOGICAL PARENTS.BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION. DUE TO LAW’S THAT PROTECT THE PARENT’S, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDS RIGHT’S HERE. COME ON I ALSO HAVE A BROTHER THAT I CAN NOT LOCATE. ADOPTEE’S GO THREW HELL TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH OF THEIR LIFE.NOW WHO DO WE HURT THE MOST, THE PARENT OR THE CHILDREN? I HAVE LONGED TO KNOW MY PARENT’S AND FAMILY.I WAS BORN IN NEW YORK STATE (SYRACUSE).ALL OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS KNOW THE TRUTH BUT NOT MYSELF OR MY BROTHER.I KNOW I WAS AND I KNOW HE KNOW’S HE WAS ADOPTED.BUT WE CAN’T BE GIVEN THE TRUTH.OUR RECORDS ARE SEALED. WE ARE OLD ENOUGH.BY NOW AS ADULT’S WE ARE OLD ENOUGH!!!TO KNOW.SO WE CAN BUT A CLOSURE,TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US.AND MEET ONE ANOTHER,AND BE HAPPY NOW. THE PARENTS THAT GAVE US UP, HAVE BEEN HAPPY ALL THESE YEARS. BUT WE HAVE NOT,!!DON”YOU THINK WE SHOUD BE HAPPY, BE FOR WE DIE OF A BROKEN HEART,BECAUSE WE DID NOT MATTER AT ALL IN THIS CASE.HOW CRUEL CAN YOU GET.AND YOU ALL THINK YOUR PROCTECING US.YOUR ONLY TAKING AWAY OUR LIFE AND RIGHT’S AND THEN WHERE LEFT TO DIE…OUR LAW’S SUCK. AND THAT IS THE TRUTH.YOU WANT TO DO US JUSTICE,CHANGE THE LAW’S OPEN THE RECORDS. THINK OF THE CHILD FOR ONCE,DUE JUSTICE TO US.WRERE JUSTICE SHOOD BE DONE. WE ARE NOW IN THE YEAR OF 2008 NOT BACK IN THE 40′S THE LAW NEED’S CHANGING. IT IS TO OLD FOR OUR CENTURY NOW.WHERE ANY THING GOES IN 2008.THOSE BABY’S BE COME ADULT’S, AS AN ADULT, I WANT TRUTH NOT LIE’S .MY PARENT’S ARE PROBELLY DECEASED.DON’T LET MY BROTHER, DIE PLEASE CHANGE.THE LAW’S FOR US…THE ADOPTEES WE HAVE FEELING’S AND HEART’S ALSO.WE ARE ALIVE STILL!!!!!! IN SYRACUSE N.Y. THANK YOU ALL.

As a birthmother I believe that all records should be open. The birthparents and their children who were adopted will all have a hole in their hearts until they know the truth.

this is a DEVELOPING democracy.if your roots were hidden from you,you would understand how there is only one answer to this question.what is the truth/facts.everything else is a diversion.

We adopted our daughter nearly 35 years ago. I have always felt that it is the child’s right to know her birth parents if she so chooses (to date our daughter has had no interest in finding her birth parents, nor have I ever felt threatened by the possibility of her finding and building a relationship with them), but that it must be pursued with the same sensitivity as Cynthia Guditus showed in finding her birth mother. The parents have each built a new life and are entitled to the privacy that they may have built into it, but a meeting can come about while respecting that privacy, as Cynthia demonstrated so beautifully.
It is equally possible that our daughter’s birth parents may have deeply regretted the necessity of putting her up for adoption, and a meeting might be something they might want as much as our daughter might want it.
I believe the reverse is also true. If birth parents were forced, by whatever circumstances, to give up a child, and have always kept that child in their hearts and wondered what became of it, they should have the equal chance to pursue that, also with equal sensitivity for the child’s privacy.
In both cases, the child must have reached his or her majority before this decision is made from either side,
Bottom line: this is too important for a blind-folded and anonimous society to make a blanket decision for all adopted children and their unfortunate birth parents. Only the birth parents and the adopted children together can make that decision, and each must take the other into account.

I am an adoptee and my adopted parents don’t know that I know. I found out when I was 25 yrs old. However, I have contacted the Dept of Health in Albany and have non-identifying information. The adoption agency I am from is closed down (Sheltering Arms Agency on 125th Street). I was able to contact them before they closed but now I can’t get in touch w/ them. I agree with the other writer who said the adoptee should have a say also. About 3 or 4 yrs ago I was diagnosed with diabetes and I’m having a slightly difficult time with it and I’ve always felt that if I knew medical history maybe I could have avoided it. I am in my early 40′s and don’t have any children and may not at this point considering my age, disease and health so it would be pretty cool to find someone who shared my blood and features. And it would be cool to thank the people that gave me up because I was blessed with the most wonderful people on this planet. They stood by me while I was a horrible teenager and then a rebellious young adult. They never gave up on me and forgave me over and over again. When I discovered that I was truly adopted I was ever so grateful to them! Adoption records should be available to adoptees.

I have been reunited with my daughter since 97 and we are now doing wonderfully. I can tell you that I and the other Moms I know were not promised nor did we ask for closed records.It was the shame during the baby sccop Era that caused us to be sent away and led to us losing our babies to the adoption industry.What most of us are finding out at reunion is that our children would have been better off with us.We needed some support for a short period of time from our families ,but again shame stopped that from happening.Should adoption records be opened? Not only should they be opened they should have NEVER been closed.Shame on those who continue to separate Mothers from their children.It is the adoption industry that wants to keep them closed not us Natural Mothers.It is a rare Natural Mother or adoptee who may be afraid to reunite and for the rare ones they can say NO when they are contacted, but the government must not stand in the way of those who want to be reunited.It is indeed a civil rights issue.BTW,show me all the surrender papers that were signed that promised us Moms privacy.You can’t can you?
Adoptees are told their geneology/health records are of no importance by those who have access to their own.Open adoption records because it is the right thing to do.

Also my birthmom was 16 and FORCED to give me up because HER parents didnt want HER to SHAME them! That is ridiculous! I understand that times are different then they were back then but that is crazy!! My contact info is here for anyone that might know of my birthfamily! Kandi Anderson 6-23-1969 All Saints Hospital Fort Worth Texas 7:28pm on a Monday. She stayed in Homestead Maternity Home ran by Dr T.E. Durham….My contact information is bluemusichome@yahoo.com or http://www.myspace.com/hereinlove display name is Brwneydgrl69 If ANY1 KNOWS ANYTHING!! Please write me!!

I did not see the special on adoption , but can relate to all who have commented on this post. I too am adopted. I am 60 yrs old and would just love to know MY name. I have an adopted name, but still have wondered what my biological name is. North Carolina has a sealed records law. The Children’s Home Society has sent me medical info,on what they had at my time of birth,but we all know as time passes that info is usually outdated . I agree that adoptive records should be open if only for medical reasons.Finding the parents is a personal issue for us adoptive folks, but we all can identify with needing medical info. Would love to see this happen,so I know MY name.

As an adoptee that has search and found both her birth parents for medical information since I have children.Yes records should be open as it would make it simpler to find the information wanted.If at the time neither the adoptee or birth parents want contact that should be up to them..good luck all..

This is a civil rights issue. Period. For our government and churches to be permitted to decide whether or not a person has the RIGHT to know their biological origin is absurd and a violation of basic human rights. There is NO such thing as “privacy promised to the birthparent.” That is a myth that the lawyers and churches use to in fear of rampant lawsuits.
Secrecy hurts everyone. Truth is the only way.

Not being an adoptee or someone who has given up a child I would think if the biological parents want to know they could contact the child, otherwise I would say leave it alone. As far as the medical records goes, I do believe that the birth parents info should be updated every 5 years. I am curious as to why is it that the biological mother is usually the one that adoptees seek. I would think the birthfathers info is just as important. I believe that the host Cynthia Mcfadden said she was adopted, perhaps she should do a segement on finding her biological parents if indeed she did.

The restoration of birth certificate access to adult adoptees and reunion with biological family members are two separate issues.
No one has the right to tell another tax-paying citizen that they are not entitled to their identity. All Americans are issued a birth certificate that records their birth, and they all should have equal access to this.
Birth certificates are sealed only upon adoption – not upon surrender. If someone remains in foster care and is never adopted, they are allowed to own their own birth certificates.
The state needs to stay out of the private business of adults, and should not be facilitating reunions for those who wish them.
Please join adoptees from across the country at the National Conference of State Legislators on Tuesday, July 22nd in New Orleans to lobby for restoring this basic human right and ending discrimination against those adults who were adopted as infants and children.
Visit http://www.AdopteeRights.net for more information.

as a 50 year old adoptee as of May 20th, i believe the laws of sealed adoption records (adoption in secrecy) in Washington State, and in all the other states with such laws, need to be revised, amended and/or overhauled. they are outdated and don’t reflect the changing times, opinions, and emotions of “all” involved. though they may have been beneficial in many cases in the past, they may have (and have) hurt many as well. “adoptees” should have a say in the adoption at some point, if they choose, even if in a limited role. if nothing else, permanently and completely sealed records should be made less frequently and used primarily in special cases that necessitate such protection (e.g. in the case of rape).
it seems to me, in most cases dating back to the 40′s, 50′s and 60′s, that the long-term effect on “adoptees” wasn’t or hasn’t been taken into account. adoptees have had little or no say in this. secrecy and shame prevention remained the norm. ask an adoptee born back then with limited or no knowledge of his/her adoption and you’ll get varying answers as to whether it now matters. but, ask an adoptee, as a child or teenager, if he/she would be interested in learning the details of his/her birth or adoption, especially if that information was available to him/her, or would instead prefer waiving his/her right to such knowledge, or be denied any access to such information because he/she had no right to such details and i think it would be less likely for an adoptee to waive or not fight for his/her right to that information. the curiosity would be too much.
well, i wasn’t born yesterday; i should now be allowed to have some access to the records of my birth after 50 years (without permission), although granted i would have preferred earlier access. my adoption agreement should now be revisited; i was a party then, and i never waived my right to discovery.

Reunite Cards – Adoption Greeting Cards created by adoptees, birthparents, adoptive parents, immediate family and friends, support open records. The founders of Reunite Cards are both adoptees from the closed adoption era, and have taken being “open” one step further, they support communication between all parties by creating greeting cards that acknowledge and articulate “feelings and sentiments” that are often unexpressed. The cards say it, like it really is, and are showcased on the Reunite Cards website.
People have the right to know the truth, what people do with that truth is up to them. Concealment, and secrecy have been a part of the adoption process for far too long. We are all people – and for all people, the truth has the capacity to set you free. Free from the negativity of concealment for all involved. There are many laws of the universe, including the law of nature – and when the law of nature is broken, the only thing left to do is heal and accept. Without truth – people are denied a basic human right, and their path to healing and accepting is greatly reduced. Information such as non-identifying or identifying should be a decision at an individual level, not a governing body’s decision.

My records were sealed without my knowledge or consent. I would never have agreed to the permanent loss of my genealogy, ethnic identity, and medical history. Nor is this necessary – do people really believe that basing the adoptive family on the secrets and lies of closed adoption is a good thing?
Remember also that natural parents were often admonished that they should not search for their child…so the argument that if the parents haven’t searched, they shouldn’t be bothered is invalid. Similarly, mothers were often advised to tell no one they had surrendered a child – thereby compounding the harmful effects of secrecy.

I wholehearted believe that all states should have open records when it comes to adoption.
Medical info being the most forefront issue but I know too, of many people who in later years, regret their decision or who were forced to give up their child during the days before R v W. Once both sides are consenting adults with their own voice and the ability to make their own choices and decisions, I see absolutely nothing wrong with providing them with ALL the information and allowing them to do just that. Make THEIR own choices and decisions, whether it is pursing a relationship with their biological parents/offspring or not.
Of course, I am a woman in search of a brother who celebrates his 40th birthday today and after twenty years of searching I am no more closer today than I was 20 years ago. And I hope everyday that we will find one another so that he can learn about what a terrific woman his mother was and I can enjoy having the brother I never had. Happy birthday BBL. I carry you with me every day; today is no different!

The birth mother gave up a baby not an adult. As an adoptee you can vote, go to war, pay taxes, etc. but you are not allowed your birth certificate. These are two adults who should decide if they want to reunite. Not a baby and a mother. A state should not make that choice for them. If a birth mother chooses not to want to reunite or the other way around, that would be much better then a state telling you that you do not have the right or the choice. Before someone else dies without knowing, please unseal these records. Thank you!!

To the helpless baby born to a birth mother, I say, “Do not willingly give up your God-given identity.”
Even if a right-wing legislator tells you giving up your identity will promote adoption, and he favors adoption because it is an alternative to abortion–do not willingly give up your God-given identity. This right is so basic, in my opinion, that it should not depend on the statute of any state. What kind of person does not recognize that?
What is the basis for a judge, asked for a court order by an adult adoptee in search of his–I mean her–heritage, to issue a decision expressing his concern for the feelings of the birth parent? Does the statute demand that all parties to the adoption be considered? Or does that come from case law? Or is it merely the personal opinion of the judge?
When dealing with such a basic right (identity) other people’s feelings should not be considered. Even if a baby who voluntarily surrendered its identity would prevent something bad, such as the infanticide of another baby, my response is the same. Do not give up your identity. Never give it up. Never, never, never.
Of course, the newborn baby can’t read this message. She is an innocent victim in the world of closed adoptions.
Reg Niles
RegNMINiles#cs.com
(Change pound sign to at sign)

Hey this is desiree’ and i hate adoptions. it is not worth getting your child took.

Well I had kinda forgot that I left the replies that I did back in July of 2008 on here… I just wanted to comment and update … August 25th, 2008 I was contacted by a woman who did turn out to be my birthmom… we met on November 1st 2008 for the first and one and only time. I have 2 sisters and a brother. The circumstances that surround my conception were revealed to me in July of 2009. I was a product of a father raping/molesting his daughter. That was the ONLY reason I was given up. My BF/Grandfather died in Sept of 90. My birthmom and I have a very strained relationship and rarely speak. I have never met any of my other siblings or blood family. I can say that it hurts alot, but at the same time I received all the answers that I was looking for and am grateful for that. Good Luck to those still searching. I never thought I would be found, but perhaps by my response on here that is what led to it, there was also another site i posted on where she could have gotten my email… so dont ever give up. If its meant to happen. It Will.