Should adopted peopln be given access to their birth and identity information?

Wombatman

Adopted people will not be given unrestricted access to identity information and birth certificates under planned changes to legislation due to concerns about birth parents’ rights to privacy.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Wombatman wrote: »

Adopted people will not be given unrestricted access to identity information and birth certificates under planned changes to legislation due to concerns about birth parents’ rights to privacy.

They already have it.

Unless the change is bringing about the current information and contacts of their birth parents. Difficult to say without a linky

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

I think that adopted children have a right to know about hereditary medical issues. As much about their biological parents’ medical history as possible really. I’m less sure about whether they have a right to know the identities of their biological parents though. I’m not sure why I’m hesitant about that though.

hatrickpatrick

Everyone should have the right to know of their genetic heritage and blood family, no exceptions, end of story.

pinkyeye

If someone makes the very difficult decision to give a child up for adoption in this day and age there are very very good reasons for it and absolutely their privacy should be protected.

To me anyone brave enough nowadays to go through with the birth and give the child up for adoption rather than have an abortion is already doing a great act.

A database could be kept of medical history to solve that problem.

metaoblivia

In the US, each state has a different approach, but I know there's one that requires consent from both parties before releasing information. So if an adoptee wants to contact their birth parent, they reach out to the state, the state reaches out to the parent and then the parent can choose whether to relinquish their anonymity or not (and can choose to write an anonymous letter explaining why, if they are so moved, which the state will then pass on to the requester). The same is true for the reverse - if the birth parent tries to find the child they gave up for adoption.

If the person the adoptee or parent is inquiring about is dead, the state will release the record.

It's one of the fairest approaches I've seen in these very complex situations. My Dad was adopted and he was born in a state that releases records, and for that, we're grateful. It made the search much easier. But I can also see where the birth parents would want privacy (both of his birth parents were dead by the time we did our search).

Calhoun

I would be in favor of people being allowed to know their medical history but don't believe they should have a right to know exactly who their parents are without the parents permission.

Maybe a clause could be built into the adoption documentation that the parent could indicate it at the time if they wanted to be tracked down in the future they could.

Mrs OBumble

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Everyone should have the right to know of their genetic heritage and blood family, no exceptions, end of story.

So that means no more IVF with donor eggs or sperm, in your ideal world?

Electric Sheep

Wombatman wrote: »

Adopted people will not be given unrestricted access to identity information and birth certificates under planned changes to legislation due to concerns about birth parents’ rights to privacy.

More accurately in Ireland concerns about birth siblings inheritance.

splinter65

I used to be of the opinion that the birth mother had the right to total anonymity for life.
Now I’ve changed my mind.
Everyone deserves to know who their parents are, and why they gave them up for adoption.
The biological parents still have the right not to be contacted, but the adoptee should have access to as much personal detail as possible including pictures and of course medical information.

pinkyeye

splinter65 wrote: »

I used to be of the opinion that the birth mother had the right to total anonymity for life.
Now I’ve changed my mind.
Everyone deserves to know who their parents are, and why they gave them up for adoption.
The biological parents still have the right not to be contacted, but the adoptee should have access to as much personal detail as possible including pictures and of course medical information.

Why, what changed your mind?

ohnonotgmail

Electric Sheep wrote: »

More accurately in Ireland concerns about birth siblings inheritance.

When a child is adopted it no longer has an entitlement to inherit from their birth parents. If their birth parents die intestate they are not entitled to a share of the will. The are the legal child of their adopted parents.

splinter65

pinkyeye wrote: »

Why, what changed your mind?

Just life I guess. You get older and you realise that somethings are not up for grabs.
No one should be left wondering who their biological parents are and why they’re not in their lives.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Electric Sheep wrote: »

More accurately in Ireland concerns about birth siblings inheritance.

Inheritance rights with the birth parents are extinguished on adoption.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

splinter65 wrote: »

I used to be of the opinion that the birth mother had the right to total anonymity for life.
Now I’ve changed my mind.
Everyone deserves to know who their parents are, and why they gave them up for adoption.
The biological parents still have the right not to be contacted, but the adoptee should have access to as much personal detail as possible including pictures and of course medical information.

How could you prevent the biological parents being contacted and give the adoptee all that detail at the same time?

JP Liz V1

I think yes you should be able to know

eviltwin

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

How could you prevent the biological parents being contacted and give the adoptee all that detail at the same time?

That info could be gathered by a third party.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

eviltwin wrote: »

That info could be gathered by a third party.

But the parents could even be identified by photo. Especially in a small, low-population country like Ireland.

wonder78

The sky hasn’t fallen in in the UK. Just give people their files. Adopted people have enough wit and wisdom to be able to process their own files. People have the right to know where they came from. The lies that have been told by those involved in the adoption process eg the religious orders are like something out of a bad film.

splinter65

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

How could you prevent the biological parents being contacted and give the adoptee all that detail at the same time?

The adoptee signs a legally binding agreement that he/she will not contact the biological parents in exchange for all the details.

Calhoun

splinter65 wrote: »

The adoptee signs a legally binding agreement that he/she will not contact the biological parents in exchange for all the details.

Don't see how this would work especially as you can see in thread people think they have the right to know regardless. You could imagine trying to enforce a legally binding agreement if this was the case.