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Adopted
Children Should Be Able to
View Adoption Records
Says New Survey
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., November 25, 2003 --
An overwhelming majority of Americans believe adopted children
should be granted full access to their adoption records when
they become adults, according to a new survey by the legal Web
site Find Law.
President Bush has declared November as National Adoption
Awareness Month. A new national survey conducted by FindLaw
found eighty-four percent of Americans believe adopted children
should be allowed to view their adoption records upon becoming
adults. The survey used a representative sample of 1,000 adults
nationwide. Only twelve percent said adopted children should not
be granted full access to their adoption records.
By some estimates, six million Americans were adopted as
children. Currently, adopted children in many states are only
allowed to view partial or edited versions of their adoption
records, which often omits information such as original birth
name, name of birth parents and place of birth. Several states
are currently considering legislation that would fully open
adoption records.
"The survey results come as no surprise," said R. David
Cousineau, President and CEO of Holt International Children's
Services, a leading adoption agency. "We have placed more than
40,000 children with adoptive families. Our experience with
three generations of adoptees has provided consistent evidence
that adoptive families understand and believe in the necessity
of adoptees to know their birth history. It is the fundamental
right of all individuals to have access to information about
themselves. For adoptees, that includes access to their own
birth records with the same equity as other individuals are
entitled."
Opponents of open records policies believe unrestricted access
to birth information would violate the right to privacy of the
birth parents, who made their adoption decisions based on what
they believed was a guarantee of privacy.
Additional information on adoptions and other family law issues
can be found on free legal information Web sites.
Source:
FindLaw |
