Thanks for taking an interest in adoptee rights! If you have questions or would like to discuss this issue further, please contact us at washingtonadopteerights@gmail.com.
Why this is an important issue
For over half a century, it has been illegal for adult adoptees in Washington State to access their own birth certificates. They are the only group of citizens who do not have that right. This is inequitable treatment under the law and a violation of their basic human right to know their own identity and history.
Sealing birth certificates has resulted in:
Reform is needed to:
Put the best interest of adoptees in the forefront
Provide adoptees with information to meet their own best interests
Restore adoptees' rights to that of all other citizens in the state
Provide information to facilitate contact
Support openness and honesty in adoption
What you need to know
There are many myths when it comes to the topic of allowing adopted adults to access identifying information.
Myth: Birth parents were guaranteed privacy for life.
Fact: No legal document has ever been produced that gave a birth parent the legal right to anonymity or privacy.
Myth: Original birth certificates are sealed when a child is relinquished.
Fact: Original birth certificates are not sealed until after an adoption is finalized, which is typically 9+ months after relinquishment. If a child is relinquished after birth but then goes into foster care and is never adopted, their original birth certificate will not be sealed.
Myth: A birth parent has a right to privacy so their adult adopted child doesn't have a right to know who the birth parent is.
Fact: Every person has a right to privacy. But "privacy" doesn't equal "anonymity" from one's own child. Unsealing original birth certificates for adult adoptees in no way "outs" a birth parent in a public manner. Only the adoptee can access the original birth certificate.
Myth: Unsealing original birth certificates for adult adoptees will lead to an increase in abortions and a decrease in adoptions.
Fact: In 1993, Washington State changed the law for adoptions finalized after October 1993 so that when an adoptee is 18 they can get a copy of their original birth certificate. Abortion rates and adoption rates have not been impacted by this law.
Additional resources