NCFA Opposes Adoptee Access to Their Original Birth Certificates

The National Council for Adoption recently released an article opposing adoptee access to their original birth certificates and debating arguments supported by both the Child Welfare League of America and Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute's research regarding the necessity of restoring the right of adopted adults to their original birth certificate.

As an adult adoptee, I am deeply saddened by the fact that the very industry which claims to work in the "best interest" of children is fighting so hard against the ones they claim to be helping. Adopted children do grow up and they and their children after them deserve the same right as every other citizen to their own record of birth, genealogical and medical histories. That is just common sense, dignity, and respect. The Supreme Courts of both TN and OR have ruled that birthparents were not promised perpetual anonymity at the expense of the right of an adult adoptee's right to their identity.

The only other time in American history where citizens were prohibited from their own identities and records was during the era of American slavery.

Six U.S. states have passed legislation restoring the right of adults who were adopted as children to obtain their original birth certificate just like other citizens.

The Evan B. Donaldson Institute's research found that mutual consent registries are not successful; that there is no increase in the incidence of abortions or decrease in adoptions in states which restored unconditional access for adult adoptees to their birth records; that birthparent confidentiality was an imposed policy created by the adoption industry, and that it is a fundamental right for all Americans to own their original record of birth.

Here is some information to compare with the erroneous information the NCFA reports in their Mutual Consent article.


The Child Welfare League of America is in support of unconditional access to their original birth certificate for all Adoptees in the U. S at age 18. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a non-profit policy and education think tank in New York City, supports this legislation. The Institute does not align with an organization or cause while conducting research and analysis on many adoption-related issues in order to improve practices, policies and laws. The American Adoption Congress, and North American Council
on Adoptable Children all strongly support unconditional access for adult adoptees.



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2007 Report by Evan. B. Donaldson Institute
Restoring A legal Right
for Adult Adoptees
http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/publications/2007_11_For_Records.pdf


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Adopted Children Should Be Able to View Adoption Records,
Says Recent Survey by FindLaw:

http://company.findlaw.com/pr/2003/112503.adoptiondocs.html



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1997 Cornell University Study Indicates Adoptive Parents
Are In Favor Of Open Records:

http://www.txcare.org/surveyab/stats/adoptionrecord_ssl.html



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"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King Jr.