NORTH CAROLINA: Adoption Law Changes Help Adoptees, January 10, 2008

NEWS 14 CAROLINA
January 10, 2008

Adoption law changes help adoptees
By: Stephanie Stilwell

GREENSBORO -- A new state law could make it easier for adoptees searching for their birth family. The new law went into effect Jan. 1 and allows adoption agencies to help connect people with their biological parents. Until now, people searching would have to go through the courts.

Pat Bryant always knew she was adopted. In the late 1970s, she was able to track down health information, but because of the laws at the time, that was it.

"Then in the late '90s, I started to pursue it in earnest," she said, "and I was really wanting to meet my mother, especially the moment I had my first child. That is the moment I really realized the love that is a bond between a mother and child."

For 10 years, road blocks plagued that search, but those roadblocks were taken away once changes with North Carolina’s adoption law went into affect Jan. 1.

"[Children's Home Society] has been an active supporter of the changes in the legislation in North Carolina. From our work with adopted persons through the years, we really advocate that they be entitled to have more access to information about their heritage,” said Sandy Cook, executive director of CHS.

The new law would allow agencies like CHS to act as a liaison between biological parents and children.

“We can give them that information, the non-identifying, and then if they want more, we'll be able now to go through an investigative process to locate birth families,” added Cook.

But the law doesn't come without problems. There is no state money to fund the changes; instead each agency has to decide how much to charge for these services and how it will deal with the extra workload.

“Well obviously this is going to have to be a fee-for-service," added Cook. "We are working very hard to keep the costs as low as we can because again we believe in this work, but we will be asking for a fee so that we will be able to do the services that are required."

Right now, the law says adoptees can't search for possible brothers and sisters, and Bryant says she's realistic about the situation. If for some reason she's unable to meet her birth mother, she'll continue the fight to meet her birth family.

As of Jan. 1, the Greensboro CHS already had 100 people on a waiting list to find their birth family. To be eligible, the adoption must have been completed in North Carolina.


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