Adoption survey for the ones who are searching. Thanks!?

Question

I am writing a paper on the effects of adoption on the society for my sociology class.

i am supposed to include i self conducted survey about the topic and i thought the YA would be the perfect place to conduct my survey. I just need you to answer the following questions. Thank you very much.

1. Are you a adoptee, birthparent, Birthsibling, other birth family member, adoptive parent, spouse of an adoptee, or search angel?

2. What state did the adoption take place?

3. How long have you been searching?

4. Have you reunited?

5. What do you think about the resources available to locating an adoptee or member of your birth family?

6. Other than open adoption records, what do you think the government can do to help improve the adoption search and reunion process?

Answer 1

1> Adoptive Parent.

2> Maine

3> My son is old enough that he know his bio parents and where they are.  I do keep tabs on where they go. He chooses to not want anything to do with them, but I keep track and information for when he gets older.  My daughter is younger and she doesn't really know them.  (they are full brother and sister froma kinship placement)

4> No not at this time, mother is still a drunk and I won't allow that type of behavior, that's what got them into fostercare to begin with.  Son wants nothing to do or say to either.

5>  I think the resources aren't going to be as helpful and they want to think they will be.  The register is only as good as the bio parents and adopt parents are at keeping the information updated.  I think it's more on whether to bio parents keep info and tabs and if the adopt parents keep tabs.

6>  Offer more counseling and education to bio parents terminating their rights and counseling and research eduction to adoptees at 17 and 18 if they choose.

Answer 2

1. Adoptee

2.PA

3. I searched for a couple years.

4. Yes

5. I didn't use resources.  I heard little things over the years and put it all together.

6. I think the government should stay out of it.  They have their hands in everything else.  If an adoptee wants to find his/her birth parents they should talk to the adoptive parents.  As long as it was an open adoption it shouldn't be a problem.  If it was a closed adoption, obviously the birth parents don't want to found.

Good Luck

Answer 3

1) natural mom

2) Michigan

3) didn't, she found me

4) yes

5) thankful they are there.

6) stop lying

Answer 4

1. Adoptee

2. California

3. I searched for 6 months.  My natural family searched for years.

4. Reunited for 6 years.

5. They are pretty lacking unless you want to pay money.  So-called state reunion registries sit unchecked for long periods of time.  Matches that have been on those registries have been know to take up to 10 or more years to be reported to the registrants.

Confidential Intermediary systems are insulting and a breach of my privacy, as an assigned person can look at my records while I cannot.

6. The government has no business in my personal relationships.  That is a Constitutional breach of my freedom from government intrusion (see Roe v Wade.)

You mention open records.  Re-opening records isn't about search and reunion.  Reunions happen all the time with or without sealed records.  (Not all states have sealed records, BTW)  Sealed records also are relatively new in adoption.  Open adoptions are relatively new.  At one time they were NOT an option, so most adult adopted persons and their natural parents live with closed adoptions because they were the only option.  Records seal in both closed AND open adoptions.  It isn't up to the "birth" parent as to whether or not the records close upon the finalization of the adoption.

Records ONLY seal is an adoption finalizes.  They DO NOT SEAL SIMPLY BECAUSE A PARENT RELINQUISHES A CHILD FOR ADOPTION.  I'm not yelling when I use caps, I'm just using them for emphasis since italics aren't available here.  These are areas of confusion for many people.

Opening records is about giving adult adopted citizens BACK the equal right to their own birth records that all non-adopted persons have (including those who were relinquished but aren't adopted.)

ETA:

Case in point:  Cruzgirl (a few posts above me) lives in Oregon which has open records.  She's searching.  Having those names doesn't make a reunion happen, but it does give her the same right non-adopted people have to her own birth record.

Answer 5

1. adoptee

2. michigan

3. started when i was 14, state said i was too young

tried again 18, but had a child of my own, so i didnt put forth too much time. tried more seriously when i was 27, barreled at it like a bull and found her about 6-9 months after that.

my bfather, it took us a few half hearted tries, but bmother and i really put in the effort starting in august last year, found him in october.

4. yes, reunited with both

5. i used the registry for bmother. went smoothly after i pushed-hard. but only because she was enrolled too. bfather was all leg work for my bmother. she had to back track his family. actually found him through classmates.com. i didnt use any other search angel

6. accurate information enforcement would be nice. the amount of c**p they shovel at you is obscene. having access to non identifying medical and heritage should be mandatory. stop the agencies from profitting ten of thousands of dollars per adoption. they have turned this into a huge money making deal.

we are people, but they see us as dollar signs.

stop enforcing non existent privacy laws. they say they 'cant' give any info legally, but no laws exist to govern this.

Answer 6

1) adoptee

2) Ohio

3) Wanted to when I was sixteen, but was too young.  Since then I've been on a roller coaster about whether or not I should now

4)No

5) There are very few resources that I've found that are even worth looking into.  In my state, you practically have to jump thru hoops in order to get just non-identifying info let alone get put on a registry

6) I think open adoption records should be mandatory.  I don't think that anyone who isn't on one side or the other knows what it is to be in an adoption situation.  I also think that the government should stay the he** out of it.  If they got in it, they would find a way to make money off of searching and reunions.

Answer 7

1. Adoptee

2. Texas

3. 20 years

4. yes

5. My OBC and adoption records should be made available to me.

6. Stay out of the process

Answer 8

1. Adoptee

2. Pennsylvania

3. Searched on and off for 23 years

4. Found my mother - still looking for my father.

5. The resources depend on which state the adoption took place in.

6. The state government has no business in reunions. It's a private matter between an adoptee and their natural family. Restoring our rights to our birth certificates, and search and reuinion are two separate matters.

Answer 9

1. Adoptee

2. California (born in TN - both are sealed records states)

3. My 1st attempt was @ 20. I was told I could not have any

    information.  Two years later, I found & joined a search group.

    I made contact 3 months after sending my 1st letter.

4. Was reunited with my 1st mom in 1983, birth dad in 1986;

    & several 1/2 siblings on both sides.  

5. Resources have been made available by wonderful, grass roots organizations doing their best to help adoptees & first families reunite.  However, these are not always effective or successful. We should be allowed access to our records.

6. Primarily, open access to our information at the same cost other citizens are charged; without charging ridiculously high fees for "confidential intermediaries".  A FEDERAL law that mandates open access to records for all adult adoptees, so that no state can deny adoptees access to their own information.  

The government can stop violating our human rights to equal access of our own records!  And stop making us feel like criminals IF we decide to search.  

Even though I've met my first mother, father, siblings & know their parents names, etc., I am still not allowed to have a copy of my original birth certificate.

Answer 10

Sorry i cannot help you with this i just want to let you know though that you have a great topic to do a survey on. I hope you ace it in school. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Answer 11

1. Adoptee with a twin sister

2. Wales, U.K., and then re-adopted in Missouri

3. It took about 6 months

4. Yes

5.  Our biggest problem was deciding to do the search, then locating a reputable private investigator [our lawyer found him - kudos to "Johnny Law"]. The EA [enquiry agent is U.K.ese for private investigator] tracked down our biological mother in about 4-5 weeks.

6. I agree with the others above who are vehemently opposed to any government interference or involvement.

7. The question you didn't ask - my sister was in therapy for years after meeting our bio-mother. It was a truly horrible experience for both my sister and me.

Answer 12

1. Adoptee

2.Oregon

3. 1 month

4. No

5. resources ok.

6. better publicity for available resources.

Good luck with your project :)