Adopted
Children and Birth Certificates
Introduction
Is
someone in your school an adopted child? Does that individual know
who his or her birth parents are? Or perhaps someone in your school is
soon expecting a child and is planning to give that baby up for
adoption. Will that child ever know where he or she came from?
Some believe that it is every child's right to know who his or her
parents are, even if they were adopted as children. Missouri
legislators have introduced a bill in the current legislative session
that would guarantee that right by allowing an adopted child to receive
an original copy of his or her birth certificate at age 18.
Bill
Information and Links
HB 1436
Sponsored by Rep.
Connie "LaJoyce" Johnson
Co-sponsored by Rep. Jeff Harris, Rep. Jane Bogetto, Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford, Rep. Michael Brown, Rep. Tim Meadows, Rep. Yaphett S. El-Amin and Rep. Barbara Fraser
Currently
in Missouri, when an adopted child is born, his or her original birth
certificate (which identifies the child's birth parents) is sealed and
an amended birth certificate is issued with the adopted parents' names.
This bill
would allow any adopted child over the age of 18 who was born in
Missouri to receive a certified, unamended, unaltered copy of that
original birth certificate.
The bill was introduced to the House in January and referred to the House
Judiciary Committee. A public hearing was conducted in February.
Public Opinion
Past efforts to pass similar legislation have resulted in debate over
the issue of adult adoptees and their original birth records.
When a similar bill was proposed in 2002, opponents objected on several
grounds. First, the bill would retroactively apply to any birth parents
who gave their children up for adoption but were promised anonymity at
the time. In addition, some believe that the measure could discourage
some expectant parents from considering adoption.
Supporters, however, stress that even adoptive children should have the
right to obtain their original birth certificates as every other
Missourian is afforded that right. Furthermore, they say that the
ability to contact birth parents may be important for medical reasons,
such as finding optimal bone marrow donors.
What's
Happening in Other States
Adoption records
are handled in a variety of ways by different states. To determine how
a particular state addresses the issue of adoptees and their original
birth certificates, contact the department in that state responsible
for the issuance of birth certificates (generally called Vital
Records). You can find a list by state at vitalrec.com. You can also refer to Cornell University's compilation of state statutes concerning adoption.
Helpful Links
News stories on
the proposed legislation
No news stories specific to this legislation could be found.
Other
Links
U.S. Census 2000 Report on Adopted Children and Stepchildren
A very comprehensive report based on 2000 Census data.
State Adoption Laws (compiled by Cornell University)
This site provides links to state statutes concerning adoption.
Vitalrec.com
Links to the Vital Records Department of each state.
Adoption.com
Provides a wealth of information for all parties in an adoption.
Adoption.org
A search engine for 400,000 web pages on adoption. Also includes links to a variety of other adoption-related sites.
The Evan P. Donaldson Adoption Institute
An objective source for research and information on adoption.
Reporting
Tips
Why this story is worth
reporting
While this issue may not directly impact most high
school students, it does provide for interesting discussions and
debate. Furthermore, for those that the issue does directly
impact--adopted children approaching the age of 18 and expectant
parents considering adoption--the issue is a very newsworthy one.
Interesting facts
According to a report from The Evan P. Donaldson Adoption Institute, there are approximately 2.5 million adopted children in the United States.
According to a U.S. Census 2000 report,
there are approximately 33,000 adopted children residing with their
adoptive parents in Missouri. Nearly 9,000 of those children were over
the age of 18. (Note: Data was not collected on adult adoptees who no
longer reside with their parents.) Visit the report for more statistics
on adopted children, including information on gender, age, ethnicity
and more.
Who
to Interview
If you know of fellow students who
were adopted at an early age, talk to them about their adoption. Do
they know who their birth parents are? Do they have any desire to
contact them? If the student is willing, talk to their parents as well.
How do they feel about the proposed legislation?
If you know of
any fellow students who are expecting a child, talk to them and see if
they are considering adoption. Would the future possibility of their
identity being release to their child discourage them from
adoption?
Sidebar/Infographic/Photo
Ideas
As this issue is a controversial one, informal opinion polls and quotes
provide the best sidebar opportunity to accompany a story on this
topic.
MoStuGov