Oppose Illinois HB 4623

Now is the time for everyone to speak out and oppose Illinois HB 4623. ALL adoptees should have the right to their original birth record. It is totally wrong for a select few to have this right. For too many years now the confidentiality of birth parents has been upheld when many did not ask for confidentiality. Many adoptive parents support open records because they know about the void felt by their children from not knowing their origin. Many adoptees have a need for birth family medical history. It is common today to hear medical professionals say that everyone needs to know their family medical history. But yet lawmakers like the one who introduced Illinois HB 4623 don't introduce good bills that if made law, will provide an opportunity for ALL adoptees to have an easier path to locating their birth parents. It is the birth parents and birth family members who have the medical history that they need.

Non-adoptees just request their original birth records. Why should they have a right that adoptees don't have?

Illinois needs to join the other states who do have open records. So let's oppose HB 4623 and then support a good bill when it is introduced!

Mutual Consent Registries

Is it right for open record laws to include a condition that a mutual consent registry be used? I don't think so. The registries have proven to not be very effective. Many confidential intermediaries have so many cases that a search does not receive a personal touch to it. Therefore when the person being sought is located, the manner in which they are spoken to can close the door. Will the intermediary contact them again? Probably not, so then the adoptee can be out the money it cost to register and still have expense to then do the search on their own without receiving any identifying information from the intermediary to help them out. But yet when open record bills are introduced and one of the conditions is that there will be a mutual consent registry, it sounds good to many. I can't help but think it sounds best to those new to searching. Just who makes the mutual consent registries sound good to legislators? Probably the intermediaries because they don't want to be out of a job. Do they care about the best interests of the adoptee and birthparents? I don't think so. Anyone who does would be all for open record laws so that an adult adoptee could obtain their original birth certificate, just like those not personally touched by adoption. It is time for adoption reform to move forward and do away with mutual consent registries and intermediaries.