The history of sealed adoption records in the US and the current battle in New York’s legislation to free them open.
This piece I wrote specifically about New York and the adoption laws here. Since it is rather long, I broke it up for ease of reading. Please read Free Adoption Records: Open the Secrets in New York part 1 & part 2 first to get the whole picture!
How to Help New York’s Fight for Free and Open Adoption Records:
“The adoptee bill of rights (S.5269/A.8410) would grant people who are adopted the right, upon their 18th birthday, to obtain an original or certified copy of their birth certificate and learn who their biological parents are. The legislation would also ensure adoptees have access to their family’s medical history, if such records exists, as well as any other information birth relatives might choose to provide.The bill would also allow birth parents the option making know their contact preference. Birth parents could either chose to allow contact, allow contact through an intermediary or indicate their preference not to be contacted. Birth parents would be able to rescind or revise their contact preference at any time.”Way too many people out there who have been adopted need information. And they’re not getting it,” said David Koon, D-Perinton, the Assembly sponsor of the adoptees bill of rights.
Koon said he is concerned that adoptees who are unable to view a complete family history are at higher risk for developing genetic conditions. If an adoptee is allowed to view their family’s history then they might be able to prevent illness, “especially with today’s technology,” he said.”
NY’s Group to Open Adoption Records
There is much more information on the New York’s Adoptee Rights Lobby Site, Unsealed Initiative, including this online petition for Open Records in New York State that you can sign to let our elected officials know that we think Bill Numbers A8410 and S5269 are important and worth calling a vote on. Please take a quick second and sign it!Unsealed Initiative is also on Facebook and you can join the cause there!
Freeing Adoption Records on a National Level
Then on a national level, the Adoptee Rights Coalition is once again attending the National Legislators Convention, this year in Louisville KY to fight for open records yet again. There are a bunch of ways to support the Adoptee Rights Demonstration like buying a really cool “denied OBC” t-shirt or just donating some much need funds!
Truth is, there is NO money at all in doing this work and the ones that HAVE the money, the lawyers and adoption agencies, well.. they don’t want records open..so all efforts are volunteer based. For instance, I, personally, will be using my vacation time again this year to go to Kentucky for the demonstration and lobbying effort.
The Adoptee Rights Demonstration is on Facebook as well as a worthy cause that you can join or just “like”
See.. you can like it right now.. come on…. you know you want too.. just click it!
Please pardon the name..it’s from the march in Philly last year and facebook won’t let us change it!, but we did have a great time in Philly last year for the Adoptee Rights Day, please take a second and check out just one of the many videos created that can be found on YouTube:
Help Adoptees Free Adoption Records
Bottom line here: There are many simple little things that can be done to help 6 million US citizens and many of our friends and neighbors in New York to be restored their basic human rights to their identity, their history, their medical information and, should they choose to, their families. Please just take a minute and do one small thing to help.
Thank you!
