CONNECTICUT: Adoption Birth Record

WTNH-TV, New Haven
February 26, 2008

Adoption birth record
by News Channel 8's Sara Welch

(WTNH) _ It's information many take for granted: the identities of biological parents. But, for adopted children in Connecticut, those facts are under lock and key. But now, there's a new push to follow eight other states and open adoptions.

Bill Finch has a public identity as a politician -- a former State Senator and now Mayor of Bridgeport. He's also a husband and father of four. But, despite all those accomplishments, there's a void.

"The thing that is missing is that you never fully know where you came from or who you are," Finch said.

That's because Finch, born back in 1956, was given up by his biological mother --- and adopted. By law, he's denied access to his family history.

"If you are adopted you can't know that," Finch noted. "That's not fair to those people."

Today, he spoke before state lawmakers hoping to change that. Finch asked that all adult adoptees in Connecticut have the option of accessing their original birth certificate.

"The question you have to ask yourself is does the state, do birth parents, does anyone have the right to erase a child's identity and forever forbid them from finding out who they really are?" Finch questioned.

It bothers Finch that adopted adults have no access to their medical histories. "Do we have things in our background, in our genetics that we should know about?" Finch questioned. "Everyone can know that except adults who were adopted and their ID's area covered up."

Finch pointed out times have changed. "Despite the fact that in the 1950's and 60's -- children who were born out of Wedlock were inferior and women were shamed that doesn't exist anymore. We don't have those hang-ups, so let's not have this hang up -- let me know who I am."

The Connecticut Catholic Conference strongly opposes allowing access to birth certificates because the group believes it infringes upon a woman's right to privacy -- and might also influence her to have an abortion.

Finch points to a UConn survey that says 84 percent of people polled believe adult adoptees should have access to birth certificates which name their birth parents.


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