Recently I visited the Illinois Department of Public Health's website and it reinforced my belief that the Adoption Registry is ineffective.
In July 2008 statistics were posted. Since the Registry was enacted on 1/1/85 there had been 10,534 registrants. The majority were adoptees (7,017) and birth mothers(2,487). Only 678 matches had been made from the 10,534 registrants. Not even 40 people a year are benefiting from this Registry. BUT it costs $40 to register so over $400,000 has been taken in.
Some might argue that since 1985 that 678 matches have been made so the Registry is worthwhile to have. BUT for a legislator to introduce a good bill that would become law many more than 678 could be helped within a year. All adoptees who wish could request and obtain their OBC. An OBC would not necessarily lead one to their birth mother's doorstep. But it would definitely speed up some searches and there are birth mothers waiting out there to be found.
Most important of all it would restore a right to adoptees that should never have been taken from them. They would be treated like all the non-adoptees who just take it for granted that they can request and receive their OBC any time they wish.
What Illinois State Representative will step up and restore this right to adoptees? Please come forward now!
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Daiily Bastardette moving to Word Press
11 years ago
3 comments:
How true! How true!
I second your request for an Illinois Representative or Senator to step to the plate and file a true adoptee rights bill -- someone who will not give in to changing the bill midstream.
Anita
The Illinois registry does cost $40, but it's free if you sign up for medical. That being said, it's still obvious from the statistics that the program makes very few matches and is not widely known to the general public.
Even if it were, such registries are ineffective. An adoptee born elsewhere but adopted in Illinois might not be able to sign up for the service. I had a similar experience in Ohio, where I was not eligible to participate in the registry because my birth certificate is from Illinois.
Adoptees deserve the same unrestricted access to their records as those who are not adopted.
I am a birth mom to a daughter born in IL. I agree the adoption registry is pathetic at best. I did send in an application in exchange for medical records so I did not need to pay the $40 fee. However, there was no match. Their reply letter told me to contact the organization the adoption went through. I was 17, how was I to know what agency that was??? I did that a year ago. Recently I did enter a post on an adoption registry site just stating in search of daughter with her birth date. I was contacted by a woman who offered to help. I was sceptical but emailed her back in a few days asking what kind of help and what is the cost? I was surprised when she said there would be no cost! Anyway with the info I had posted on that web site and by giving her the child's race, she had my daughter's adoptive name within 24 hours! I didn't believe it at first but did my own searching on the internet now that I had a name to use. And, she is my daughter. This was just 4 days ago and I'm still digesting all that I have found out about her and adoptive parents. Not certain how soon I will make contact. I want her to feel comfortable, but I know it will be as overwhelming for her as it has been for me. If she has ever tried to search for me I am certain she has far less info to work with. OBC's should be available to these children. They should have same rights as anyone else. Especially once they've reached adulthood.
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