Adoptees Began The Adoption Reform

Even though adoption as a process has negative results for adopting children, some people still takes this act to be a good act where children who are deprived of parents still have a

May cause different emotions for adopted child as they have the right to know their origins

“I want to be like my adoptive mother, but my birth mother says I’m like her. I don’t know what to do or who I am. My whole life is messed up. It’s not my fault. It can’t be fixed,” said a girl adopted into an open adoption (Byrd). An open adoption is a process in which the birth parents and the adoptive parents know each other and are involved in the adopted child’s life. A closed adoption is when there is no contact at all and no identifying information is given between birth and adoptive parents (Byrd). While both are common to today’s society, closed adoptions allow opportunities for the adoptive parents to raise their kids without the interference of birth parents (Bender).

Not many children who are put in closed adoptions get to know who they are and their family history. Closed adoption children do not get to know any of their historical background, and this sometimes gives children self-esteem issues (“Adoption Emotional Issues”). They can also deal with loss and grief issues at times because they do not have their biological parents around to help raise them. It is not until the age of eighteen for the child to legally find their biological parents on their

A second source that will be used in order to inform the reader on the common views that are held on open adoption is the article, Open Adoption: What does the “Average Person” think? Written by Rompf, and Elizabeth Lewis. This article will allow the reader to understand where open adoption fits into current American culture and society This will allow the reader to come into the paper knowing the importance and relevance of the topic of open adoption. This article will

For many people, adoption is the only choice when it comes to having children. Once someone chooses adoption, however, there is always more than one option available. It is important when choosing adoption that each person involved is educated on the topic. There are three main types of adoption: confidential, mediated, and fully disclosed. “In up to 90% of domestic infant adoptions, adoptive parents maintain some contact with birth parents. It's considered best practice because most women want to know what happens to the child and the child wants to know family history” (Koch, 2009). Even though the adoptive parents may not create a strong bond with the child, an open adoption is better than one that is closed because children respond

Many factors are given weight in the decision to allow a child to be adopted such as socio-economic status, marital status, age, health and the ability for a child to integrate in to the perspective parent’s life (The Free Dictionary, n.d.). Within the adoption process there are two primary types: closed adoptions and open adoptions (Family Education, 2016). A closed adoption is where there is no contact between the adopters and the birth parents putting the child up for adoption. Also known as a confidential adoption it is performed through an intermediary who is responsible for all communication such as an attorney (Family Education, 2016). There is also no contact between the adopted child and his or her biological parents later in life without court intervention. The other avenue of adoption perused more commonly now is an open adoption where the adopters and birth parents are in full communication through out the process (Family Education, 2016). Adoption has gone through an evolution where previously closed adoptions were heavily favored; open adoptions are now becoming more common practice. In the United States on five states currently give adoptees uninhibited access to their adoption records (Fair, 2008:

Parents deserve the protection from unwanted contact. “unsealing records that birth parents believed were private will force them to relive what many describe as the most painful experience of their lives. They say their objections have been drowned out because the people most affected can't speak for themselves because they don't want to be identified” (Akin, 2014, para. 6). Strong needs for privacy may rely on the birth parents, this also sometimes helping the mother move on. Parents are sometimes unable to hold appropriate relationships or boundaries that are set by adoptive parents. Challenges arise that create decisions to keep the records sealed. The birth parents want little to no contact/information given. Access to original birth records, even if given general information, can help prepare the adoptee for future actions and precautions they must take. “adoptees have the right to know their own medical histories, which could help them prepare for illnesses or genetic diseases in the future.” (Gazette, 2015, para. 14)...”The DSS is authorized to release non-identifying information about biological parents, if the information is available, to children after they turn 18.” (Leader, 2016, para. 10). Giving medical information to adoptees can help them understand their backgrounds and medically related history. These pieces of important medical history can lead them to take safety precautions when given a certain situation. They are knowledgeable to any medical conditions and the risk they hold, these being carried through their biological heredity medical history. Preventive care is administered to counteract any chances to long-term health, this potentially affecting the adoptive family when holding life-threatening conditions and not knowing how to react. Such details play a crucial role when maintaining decisions for the

To understand some of these issues, the focus will primarily be directed towards how the law views same-sex adoptions. An analysis will compare and contrast on the upbringing of children who have been adopted and the

For those who are a part of the adoption world one of the most hotly debated issues is whether birth records should be open or closed to adoptees. With this issue comes strong feelings on both sides. In most states adoption records are fully sealed and inaccessible, unless the adoptee petitions the court. In 16 states these records are fully or partially available upon request with no court involvement, and also may depend upon when you were born. In a few states records are completely prohibited and the adoptee will never have any access to them. Alaska and Kansas have always made original birth records available.

When a foster child is adopted to a loving family, it is standard procedure for a new birth certificate to be issued. This new birth certificate will have the adoptee’s new name, along with the names of the adoptive parents. All the references to the adoptee’s birth name, the name of the adoptee’s birth parents, and the reasons of the adoption, is wiped-out. Now, the original birth certificate is placed in a court file confidential which is sealed and unavailable. However, many believe the records should be sealed forever, while others believe the records should be opened so that helps adoptees can discover their biological background and heritage. My motion is to argue that an adoptee should have every legal right to any confidential records

In the last four decades, the concept of the American family has undergone a radical transformation, reflecting society¡¯s growing openness. Among all segments of society, there is a greater acceptance of a variety of family structures ¨C from single parenting to blended families to same sex parenting of children. The introduction of openness into the process of adoption offers new opportunities for children in need of a parent or parents and prospective parents wishing to create or expand their families. Meeting the requirements to become eligible to adopt no longer means being constrained by the conventions of an earlier generation.

When the average American citizen today thinks about the concept of adoption, what images are typically the first that come to mind? Although different people are sure to have equally as different experiences in this field, one picture continues to remain the most commonly-accepted. This image consists of a man and a woman who cannot have children of their own, a newborn baby, and a single mother who will certainly be unable to provide for the infant due to her young age, lack of financial support, or another variety of unfortunate circumstances. Making the decision to adopt a child is without a doubt one of the best options available for couples who are unable to conceive, but by thinking of adoption as nothing more than the fallback

     Adoption is metamorphosing into a radical new process that is both sweeping the nation and changing it. But this process is not an easy one, there are many steps to go through. Through research it is made a lot easier. Adoption is a also a highly visible example of a social institution that has benefits from and been reshaped by both the Internet and the exponential growth of alternative lifestyles, from single to transracial to gay. It is accelerating our transformation into a more multicultural society; even as it helps redefine out understanding of “family.” The process includes three main steps including a type of adoption, the techniques for location a baby for adoption, arranging

Statistics show that the vast majority of independent adoptions in California are completed without a hitch; less that 2 percent are even contested. But when an adoption is contested, the anguish felt by both the adoptive and birth parents is unimaginable. Linda Ribordy, a family specialist who represented a birth mother in a legal case says that “if a birth mother changes her mind, it’s automatic that they get the baby back.” But the adopting parents feel furiously and emotionally different. “We have no legal status, no legal rights, none,” says Inger Bischofberger. “But he calls me Mama. The only thing that keeps me going is that I can’t turn my back on him, I can’t just walk away from him because all the grownups in his life have messed up.”