Laws Affecting Adult Adoptees

OPEN RECORDS

Ignorance is not bliss for adoptees. Access to our medical records and right to personal government documents is threatened by current bills circulating throughout the U.S. Help the open records movement!

Adoptee Rights History and Law: What you need to know about our rights and how they have been abrogated.
Voices for Open Records: Beautiful, informative and interactive site by Denise Castellucci, creator of the award-winning Voices of Adoption.
Bastard Nation Mission Statement: A mission to gain unconditional open records for all adult adoptees. Equal access to government documents as a civil right. Get government out of our personal business.
Open Records Position Papers: Open Records: Why it's an Issue; Why Open Records are Good for Adoptive Families; Open Records is the Pro-Life Position; articles on disclosure vetoes, contact vetoes, Confidential Intermediary systems, mandated reunion registries and more.
Adoptive Parents Speak Out for Open Records
Sealed Records and Adoption Reform: An Historical Perspective. This comprehensive article answers questions about the NCFA, CUB, AAC, UAA and Open Adoption and their relation to sealed records.

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The U.A.A. - "THE EVIL ACT"

Find out exactly what the Uniform Adoption Act of 1994 (U.A.A.) is and how it seeks to seal adoptee birth certificates for 99 years and to make searching criminal. Easy-read, fun format and must reading for adoptees.
Shea Grimm's U.A.A. Site includes the history and development of the Uniform Adoption Act of 1994.
David Winge's Statement Regarding the Uniform Adoption Act. Read about why the UAA is bad for adoptees and birthparents. Add your name to a list of people who oppose it.
Kevin McCarty's U.A.A. Resources
Text of the Uniform Adoption Act

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PLAYERS

Bastard Nation is dedicated to unconditional open records for adult adoptees as a civil right. Provides many online fora for adoptees and opportunities for activism.
The NCFA: National Council for Adoption. These are the people who support the UAA - the ones who want to seal your records for 99 years and make it a felony to search. Find out what they're up to and who supports them.
The Mormon Church (LDS): The LDS Church is one of the main contributors to the NCFA. After reading some of their beliefs regarding children born outside of marriage, it's no wonder some of these guys will do anything to keep their Bastards in the closet!
The American Adoption Congress once championed adoptee rights but unfortunately it now supports the same sort of mandated mutual reunion registry bills as the NCFA.
CERA: Joe Soll's open records group has a psychological focus but has done pioneering work in making the public aware of the struggle for open records. Now focusing on "family preservation", they have sponsored marches on WDC for Open Records.
CUB:Concerned United Birthparents was the first group to make the reform community aware of the Uniform Adoption Act and to galvanize nationwide opposition against it. The revamped CUB is back on track supporting adult adoptee access, as well as birthparent activism.
L. Anne Babb's Defenders of the Status Quo is an excellent listing of those organizations which actively oppose open records. Know who the opposition is!

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ADOPTION LAWS

Access to Adoptee Records: Quick information on records access in the U.S.
U.S. State Laws: Detailed info. on laws and how to search in the U.S. courtesy of Adoption Triad Outreach.
Adoption Law around the World: Links to the text of adoption law for nations around the world, including U.S. states, Canadian and Australian provinces
Timothy Sheridan's Adoptee Rights Page Learn lots about adoptee rights vis-a-vis U.S. Constitutional Law and write your congressperson right from the site!
Kevin McCarty's Adoption Law and Reform An excellent site with links to lots of information about adoption legislation.
Mary Block Baker's Home Page for Adoptees and Birthfamilies is an elegant, well-organized site with links to information and essays on open adoption, adoption reform and the opposition.

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GET ACTIVE!

You can do something now by checking out the Adoptee Action Alert page.
Learn about Adoptee-Rights Activism at the Get Active! page.
Want to make your voice heard? Try The Electronic Activist and Tips on How to Use the Media Effectively

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