NEW YORK: Commenty by Joyce Bahr--Adoptees Deserve Family Info, April , 2008

BINGHAMPTON PRESS AND SUN-BULLETIN
April 8, 2008


Adoptees deserve family info
By Joyce Bahr

Adoptees will have the same right to their birth records and early health histories as every other person has always had, under legislation pending in the state Senate and Assembly. Currently, eight other states offer this right, and several others are considering it. Adoption records in Kansas and Alaska have never been sealed.

New York began sealing adoption records in the mid-1930s to protect adoptive parents from possible interference from biological parents. Contrary to popular assumption, however, there has never been a legal guarantee of secrecy offered to birth parents who have given up their children for adoption.

Since the 1930s, social perceptions and medical research have evolved to the point where most professionals in the field of adoption agree that open adoption and background information is to the benefit of all concerned. For example, one of the first things a doctor needs to know is a patient's medical and psychiatric history. Currently, that potentially life-saving information is obtainable only by court order and at considerable cost to the individual. Unfortunately, it is usually not sought because of those deterrents to a patient's serious disadvantage.

Other adoptees seeking their birth records believe that the matter is one of basic human rights, including the right to know one's heritage, something that is taken for granted by everyone else. Such denial of access consigns adoptees to second-class citizen status.

The proposed adoptee rights legislation strikes a balance between an adopted person's right to know and the confidentiality concerns of biological parents.

With the political fray in Albany this year, these bills need the attention and support of your elected officials. Please contact your state senator urging support of bill S235 and your Assembly member of bill A2277.

Bahr, of Gracie Station, is president of the New York Statewide Adoption Reform. Contact her at Unsealedinitiative@nyc.rr.org

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NEW YORK: Letter by Joyce Bahr--Adoptees Deserve to have Rights to Records, April 3, 2008

ELMIRA Star-Gazette,
April 3, 2008

Letter: Adoptees deserve to have rights to records
April 3, 2008
StoryChat Post Comment

Under legislation pending in the state Senate and Assembly, adoptees will have the same right to their birth records and early health histories as every other person has always had. Currently, eight other states offer this right, and several others are considering it. Adoption records in Kansas and Alaska have never been sealed.

New York began sealing adoption records in the mid-1930s to protect adoptive parents from possible interference from biological parents. Contrary to popular assumption, however, there has never been a legal guarantee of secrecy offered to birth parents who have given up their children for adoption.

Since the 1930s, social perceptions and medical research have evolved to the point where most professionals in the field of adoption agree that open adoption and background information is to the benefit of all concerned. For example, one of the first things a doctor needs to know is a patient's medical and psychiatric history. Currently, that potentially life-saving information is obtainable only by court order and at considerable cost to the individual. Unfortunately it is usually not sought because of those deterrents, to a patient's serious disadvantage.

The proposed adoptee rights legislation strikes a balance between an adopted person's right to know and the confidentiality concerns of biological parents.

With the political fray in Albany this year, these bills need the attention and support of your elected officials. Please contact your state senator urging support of Bill S235 and your assemblyman on Bill A2277.

JOYCE BAHR

President

New York Statewide Adoption Reform

New York, N.Y.

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NEW YORK: Letter--Regarding Jennifer Gish's Jan. 13 Article, "Opening Closed Books on Adoption"

ALBANY TIMES-UNION
January 25, 2008


Bill Benefits Adoptees and Their Parents
Letter by Joyce Bahr


Regarding Jennifer Gish's Jan. 13 article, "Opening closed books on adoption":

This issue is about adult adoptees who are being denied civil rights. Although some adoptees will not seek out birth/natural families until their adoptive parents are deceased or until they are older, some will want to know when they are 18 and they should have the right. Surrender papers are what women like myself, Sylvia Ackerson and many other mothers who surrendered to adoption signed. We are well aware we signed surrender papers terminating our parental rights, which contain nothing about confidentiality.

I, like other mothers who surrendered to adoption, and adoptive parents who are not adopted, have our original birth certificates and know our identity -- unlike adoptees. This is about adult adoptees and their rights.

There are some myths being perpetuated by some in state government that natural parents are shocked when contacted by adoptees and that the registry protects those who do not wish to be found. Neither of these hold true in today's world. I believe most New Yorkers would agree the law is slow to catch up with the changing times of society.

The New York Bill of Adoptee Rights is a good bill giving all adult adoptees access to a copy of their original birth certificate and updated medical histories at age 18. It gives birth/natural parents the option of filing a contact preference meaning they want contact, they want contact but only through an intermediary, or they do not want contact.

JOYCE BAHR

President New York Statewide Adoption Reform

http://www.unsealedinitiative.org




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