Reasons for Open Adoption Records
Adoption records were sealed beginning in the 1940s to shield the parties from the social stigma associated with the reasons children were placed for adoption. As society's views have changed, we have begun to see open adoptions might be healthier for all parties involved.
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Equal Access to Records
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Adults not adopted have complete freedom to access all of their personal records, while adults who were adopted do not. Many advocates for open adoptions argue this is fundamentally unfair.
Culture and Heritage
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Many adults who were adopted report feeling they become fixated on the knowledge they have a culture and heritage they are unaware of. This does not mean they are not a part of their adopted family, just that they would like to know the background and origins of their biological parents.
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Medical History
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As medicine advances, we are becoming more aware of diseases and risk factors that are associated with family history. People who were adopted are unable to provide doctors with a family history that can help identify problems they might be at an increased risk for because of genetic predisposition.
Inheritance
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Some states have laws that allow an adopted person to inherit from his biological parents should they die without a will. It might be beneficial for adopted adults to have access to birth records to determine if they have rights to an estate that will otherwise go unclaimed.
Abandonment
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Many adopted adults report feelings of isolation and abandonment. People report meeting their biological parents allows them to develop a sense of identity and avoid feeling as if they were abandoned.
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