How many believes that the adoption laws need to be up-dated?

Question

How many believes that the adoption laws need to be up-dated? And why?

Answer 1

I believe it needs major overhaul.  Adoption has become an industry that treats children as commodities with no past.

Answer 2

Absolutely!

Return infant adoption to being a social service for the children rather than a business based on demand for babies

Allow Adoptees access to their own original record of birth if they choose to apply for it

Answer 3

They should totally be updated espeacially because the society changed a lot in the last years and I think they should hire new fresh people and get rid off the old ones who work there as because the adoptions are very burocratic and difficult in all lands...

Answer 4

In the states- YES. Adoptee's there have less rights than other citizens. 'all men are equal'.....unless your adopted.

Here in the UK also, I think once a child is adopted...it's bye bye, so long, forgotten. At least we do have access to our records....though they can be incomplete...that can be a lottery, depending were you were adopted.

Also, as an older child being adopted, professional evaluation, would/could have stopped years of abuse. Too often it's adults dealing with adults and the child is over looked. I wish I had been given a 'safe' place to have a voice.

Answer 5

The adoption laws do need to be updated and let the birth parents see their kids when they want to.

Answer 6

The Adoption laws in the country definately needs to be updated and/or changed so that they are more equal, fair, and uniform

Answer 7

I think there does need to be some changes regarding the sealing of adoption records.

I'm on the fence about pre-birth matching.  I can see where it might seem coersive to some people, but other women have reported that they wanted to meet the adoptive couples while they were still pregnant and had no issues with it.  Ultimately, I dislike restricting options for people when it's "for their own good."  Can't a woman decide for herself if she wants to meet a perspective adoptive couple before birth, after birth or never?

ETA: Great avatar, btw.

Answer 8

Yes, they certainly need to be updated.

Why?  Because hiding one's own identity from them should be considered abuse and should not happen, let alone from our own governments.

Answer 9

Every state has different adoption laws, that needs to be changed.  There needs to be national laws.  They need to ensure Birth parents rights, as well as protect the Adoptive Parents and child.  Updated laws, and laws that are consistent from state to state...that is what we need.

Answer 10

yes they need updating and should never be sealed because of the illness that ppl pass on to kids

Answer 11

I believe that once the adoption papers are signed, that's it. No 6 months to change your mind. It is not fair to the adoptive parents to bond with the baby and then for the birth mom to turn around and say, oh, by the way, you have to give the baby back because I changed my mind.

Answer 12

I Do.!

Answer 13

With the variety of family relationships our society does and does not recognize, I have to agree.

Answer 14

Boy, do the laws on adoption ever have to be changed. They shoud allow adoptions of other faiths, colors etc.

Answer 15

I believe the adoption laws regarding sealing need to be BACK-dated.  At one time, these records were never sealed from the adopted person.  It was only around the WWII era that they started sealing them from adopted person.  

Beginning in the 1930's, states began sealing them from the general public, then from the first parents, then from the adoptive parents, and finally from the adopted persons themselves.  This went on in all but 2 states. Kansas and Alaska never sealed records from adopted citizens.  

Now, 4 states have gone back to giving ALL adopted citizens equal access rights, on par with the rights that non-adopted citizens have.  

It's always important to note that these records do not seal when a child is given up for adoption.  It is only if an adoption finalizes that the records seal.  This means that if I was given up for adoption, but never adopted (or my adoption failed,) then I would always have access to my record.  In fact, not only would I have access to it, it would still be my only legal record of birth!  Being given up for adoption did not take away my right to access my own birth record.  Being adopted did.

Sealing these records never had anything to do with "protecting" the first parents' identities.  Indeed, in many states, first parents were some of the first people (besides the general public) to be denied access, while adoptive parents and adopted citizens still had access.