Do you support natural families access to the adoptees amended birth certificates?

I absolutely and unequivocally support the right of the natural mother to the full and equal access to the amended birth certificate. It is unconscionable that a woman be held to an agreement made under extreme stress and without the benefit of unbiased legal representation. Women who were forced to surrender their infants should have the same access to identifying information enjoyed by the people who benefited from those losses and have often had much of the identifying information on hand to control at their whim. Equal justice under the law pertains to the arena of adoption as well as other areas.

Most women who surrendered their infants during the EMS/BSE walked away with nothing, not a slip of paper, a copy of the agreement or a picture, nothing, to testify to the events that scarred their psyches forever. Even murderers, rapists and pedophiles get a fair hearing and parole reviews. Women who surrender are forever consigned to a living death. It is inhumane and a violation of human and civil rights.

Sandra L. Young

Senior Mother

SMAAC

ETA: I am sorry that credit issues are a problem. I don't really think tho that bad credit should trump human and civil rights. Sure it is a hassle, but that is what you agree to when you take on another's child. I cannot agree that credit issues are that common and there are other ways to handle those problems. Sorry if you don't agree. Some people have ex spouses that are less than ideal. Life happens. People change. Obviously I am not speaking of actual physical danger.

I'm still mulling this one over. I haven't thought much about it before, to be honest.

My first reaction, is No. Not when the adoptee is still a minor. The records belong to the adoptee, with access by the legal parents (which would be the adoptive parents). I don't think it's any different than any other kind of privacy. I don't think that the natural family should automatically have access to the minor adoptee's medical records, school records, etc.

I do think the threat of identity theft is valid, but that's not the most compelling reason.

When the adoptee becomes an adult, then he/she can allow whomever he/she wants to have access to those records.

If there is a question of coersion, however, I think the natural parents should have a legal route available, in order to access the records. Such as, being able to file a petition in a court of law.

ETA: Mamakate, read up on identity theft. You'd be surprised what someone can do with a birth certificate.

I think it depends on the situation.

If we are talking about adult adoptees then they can decide for themselves if their first families can have access to their birth certificates.

If we are talking about minors, again, I don't believe there is a clear yes or no answer. If we are talking about an open adoption where all the parents agree to a relationship with one another and each set agrees to that, then I don't see a problem as the first parents would already know the child's name as well as the adoptive parents.

However, like other posters, I would not support this if the adoption was through foster care where the parents rights were terminated due to abuse (of any kind). In my situation, my son was abused by his first parents and even 2 years later, they are still threatening CAS with "getting him back." I'm very concerned about giving them any clue as to who we are and our whereabouts.

As for identity theft. I have heard that it sadly does happen, though I'm not clear how. I hope it's a very small percentage of the population and I believe these mothers that are that morally corrupt, probably would have messed up their kid's credit even if their child hadn't been adopted.

I have a copy of my son's amended birth certificate, and I am his natural mother. The file date was stamped on the ABC, as being the same date as the date his OBC was filed. This was only 6 days after he was born. At that time, I had not surrendered him and was still fighting to keep him. I did not surrender him until he was 2 weeks old. His adoptive parents got him when he was a little over a month old. The "medical" information on the ABC was correct. It listed my ob/gyn, the hospital, date and time of birth, birth weight. There was an additional section, which had been removed from the copy of the ABC which I have, but I remember that it was there when I signed the OBC. This section had additional medical details such as 'forceps delivery." California law only allows the "mother, father, and the child" to have that additional medical information. So, my son's adoptive mother can get personal medical details about me on her copy of the ABC. I can't get those details, and they are actually a part of my medical record. I was able to get the ABC after I found out my son's new adoptive name. I cannot get the OBC.....which I signed, and which has the correct information on it. As for the syph test...my mother was tested for that when I was born in the 40s and I think all mothers were. There is a record of that on my birth certificate, from NY. Until the 1970s, couples had to be tested for syph when they applied for a marriage license also.

I'm going to catch grief from people for posting this, but I can only base my decision on my son's situation. I do not, nor would I ever, support full access to adoptee's records by the natural/original/first family. My reason for this is that if it is a "generalized" rule where any original/natural/first family member had access to those records, there will be times where the adoptee can or will be put in danger.

My son was in a situation of neglect and abuse prior to and immediately following birth. Although he never came home from the hospital with his first set of parents, that did not stop them from filing for a social security number for him. We have been told by other members of the original family that their purpose was to "sell" the number to others for the purpose of ID Fraud. Because of this, we had to fight to obtain a new social security number to prevent him from having credit issues down the road.

I understand that thankfully, not all adoption situations are like this, and I am sure there are more original parents who will do right by the adoptee than there are original parents who would abuse the system. However, since "some" people will take advantage of the adoptee, I cannot fully support full access.

Just my 2 cents.

Well I find it completely ironic that I found this question because I have a story for you and you can give me your opinion. About 5 years ago I gave my child up for adoption because I had moved out of state to get away from drugs so I left my child with my mother who promised to send my child to me when I was able to get on my feet well man was I wrong she every time I would call her she would argue with me and hang the phone up on me. Well a year and a half had passed and I get a letter stating that my child was in foster care and that they wanted me to take my child my problem was at the time I was living with 12 other people and I did'nt have a bedroom for her and I did'nt have enough money to move so the state let this family adopt my child.

Well about a month and a half ago I found out my child was looking for me so the family finally contacted me and we met well my child's adoptive mother and I had a talk and she told me that nothing was set in stone and maybe one day my child would be able to come live with me once my child had grown a bit more,(because she understood what my mother had put me threw). Well anyways lately my child has been calling me crying and telling me that my child's adoptive family has'nt been treating my child and another adoptive child very well but treat the children that are naturally their's just fine. My child and the other adopted child get teased and yelled at all the time by the adoptive mother and father and make them feel like they don't love them. so to answer you'r question I guess It would be a matter of the natural parents situation on why they let their child go and my question is how can I get help to get my child back where my child truely belongs and would get the love and devotion my child needs???

In general, yes.

However, the need for the child to be safe is primary, and if the biological family posed any danger, they should not have access. In abuse cases, this should not be a way for an abuser to seek out their victim. If a child was abused, I think the records need to be sealed to the biological family. Unfortunately, that means more than just the abuser, as the abuser could otherwise just ask someone else in the family to pull the records. The safety of the child is of primary importance.

I guess my answer to this would be that except in cases of abuse the biological family should have access, and the adoptive family should have the ability to petition the court to seal the record if they believe there is some other form of danger. However, this danger would need to be proven; the request shouldn't automatically be granted just because of the adoptive family's request.

I think the vast majority of biological families could be granted access to these records safely, and they should have access-- but in a way that doesn't allow those families who are a danger to do more damage.

Yes I think they should have access the child's birth certificate. However, I think exception should be made in some adoptions from foster-care, in situations where the child's safety depends on abusive family members not knowing how to locate them.

No, I do not. I can only speak of cases I have been involved with and in those cases, the first family does not need to have this information since these children were removed and then the parents rights were terminated. I do beleive children, as adults, should have easier access to their adoption records and other information and not have to go through so much red tape. I also believe some level of openenss between both sets of parents should be supported....be it pictures, letters, phone calls, etc.

For us, no, we would not be comfortable with them accessing that information. It really depends on the circumstance. Our children were apprehended from parents, but we allow letters and pic's and presents, and when children are old enough to handle it we will allow contact. But for now, we are focusing on bonding and trying to heal the wounds from abuse.

Perhaps each situation is different. If I adopted a child from the age of birth, I would have no problem with that information being accessed.

In this case, I would have a problem with D's n-family having access to his amended birth certificate. I know it sounds like a double standard since I have a copy of his original birth certificate, but hear me out...

When his n-father passed away we found out that he had credit cards in D's name. There were two actually cards found in his apartment and there were a few rejection letters also. We had a credit report ran using his SS# and found out their were 5 Credit cards issued in D's name. No one could tell where the other three were. We filed a police report and sure enough a few weeks later someone tried using one of them in Florida. This is the last place his N-mom was known to have lived at that time.

So, for this type of security reason's I would have a problem with it. I also think with many other children adopted from Foster care, there would be other risks.