Original birth certificates have been in the news lately, first with the release of President Obama’s and now the state of New Jersey is close to passing a bill that will allow adoptees to obtain their original birth certificates, and open their sealed files.
This is a hotly debated topic in New York as well, as according to childwelfare.org New York is currently one of 26 states along with the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam and Puerto Rico to have sealed adoption records. The website says that the other 26 states have laws that allow for adoptees to obtain their original records.
According to the website, some of the states have laws to allow adoptees to obtain their original records through:
” – Through a court order when all parties have consented
– At the request of the adult adoptee
– At the request of the adoptee unless the birth parent has filed an affidavit denying release of confidential records
– When eligibility to receive identifying information has been established with a State adoption registry
– When consents from the birth parents to release identifying information are on file”
What side are you on in this debate? Do you believe adoptees should be allowed to obtain their original birth records, which would eliminate a lot of the privacy of the birth parents? Or do you believe the privacy of the birth family should be protected?