Adoptees seeking easier access to birth records

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Lawmakers are looking at proposals to let adults who were adopted as children see their original birth certificates.

Currently, the records can be unsealed only upon a court's order -- a time-consuming, costly and, for some, nearly impossible step, open records advocates say.

An original birth certificate includes not only the birth mother's name but often birth weight, height and the delivery doctor's name -- all pieces of a puzzle for people trying to learn more about themselves.

"This is about civil rights. Every other citizen in this state and in this country can go down to the vital records office and request their birth certificates ... except for an adoptee," said Carol Kurtz, legislative liaison for a group called Missouri Open 2000.

A bill by Rep. Harold Selby, D-Cedar Hill, would let adoptees see their original birth certificates at age 18. The Senate has a similar bill, but it wouldn't allow the adoptee to see the records until age 50. At a hearing last week, the House Civil and Administrative Law Committee heard arguments from opponents who say birth mothers were promised that the adoptions would remain secret.

'It could be devastating'

"We as a society promised them that that information would be sealed. They were told that no identifying information would be released," said Kathryn Bourgeois of Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

"It could be devastating to change the rules."

If lawmakers want to make adoption records open, the change should apply only to births after the new law takes effect, Bourgeois said.

Children are given amended birth certificates after adoption on which some information, such as the birth mother's name, is deleted or changed.

Supporters say opening the original records is important if a person is to learn details from the past beyond the birth mother's identity.

"When you are an adoptee, there are people trying to control your identity all your life," said Gayle Etnire of Overland Park, Kan., who spoke for a group called Concerned United Birthparents Inc.