Greetings!

We designed this site in order to keep in touch with friends and family who are far away and in order to communicate with other adoptive families from around the world.

When we first started researching this wonderful way to become a family we read everything we could get our hands on. Even though there are a lot of great books out there, nothing was as informative or touching as the blogs we found by adoptees, biological parents, and adoptive families. So we are writing this blog now in hopes of returning the favor. We hope that if you are dear to us you will enjoy keeping up with our adventures. If you are someone out there involved in a part of the adoption triad we hope you will find information and comfort here and provide us with some of your own!

If you would like to get in touch with us we can be reached at: becomingafamily@gmail.com
Feel free to stop by anytime. We're happy to share our family story.

Take care,
Brian and Rosemary

Friday, July 10, 2009

Adoptive Parents for Open Records

Margie over at Third Mom introduced me to this fabulous new time waster: Adoption Voices. Some of you may know about it but it was new to me. It's a very fun sight kind of like facebook but its all adoption talk all the time. I pretty much have to tear myself away to face adult responsibility. Anyway, I was pleased to find that there is actually a Thailand group to join, but of course, there aren't many members yet so pop on over and check it out this weekend.

More importantly though, Margie has started an "Adoptive Parents for Open Records" group which is growing rapidly but we need all the concerned moms and dads we can get so please take the time to join the cause. I've said it before but I'll say it again: If we don't teach our kids to stand up for themselves then who will? I think this is one of my most fundamental jobs as a mother - to enable my children to represent themselves well in difficult situations. What could be more difficult for anyone than the moment in time when a Judge denies them access to life saving medical information? I hope my children never have to face that issue but if they do I hope that our lives can act as a template for the fight they are going to have to muster forth. Brian and I are working so hard to bring Button home; he will certainly be worth the effort of a little civil action once he's here. I'm sure a lot of ya'll feel the same way about your small people!!

I hear a lot of parents saying, "Well, I adopted internationally so the fight for open records doesn't really concern our family." It certainly does. We now live in a Global Village and when one civilization makes a choice for or against human rights it resonates loudly in other communities. American adoption policies have changed (for better and worse) adoption ideologies around the world over and over again. We have the power to begin a shift in common thought about the shame surrounding adoption and unwed pregnancy.

More importantly though, closed records feed this out-moded and wrong sense of inferiority that permeates some communities ideas about adoptees and adoptive families. Having power and knowledge about their own life history and the same basic human right to medical help as other people will go a long way to empowering adoptees in the general social consciousness of America. Please take the time to join the cause and read a little bit about what can be done in your state. It's easy and effective to write a letter to your senator! I know you're all shocked to discover that I am a letter writer. ;-)

--Rosemary

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

interesting post as by coincidence I have just finished reading the book, The Baby Thief, about Georgia Tann who corrupted adoption in the US - real eye opener of a book.

rosemary said...

Oh yea, that woman was a real nightmare. Everything she did to those families is so sad.

Jessica said...

What a great advocate you are, Rosemary. Thanks for being a voice!

a Tonggu Momma said...

Thanks, Rosemary. You prompted me to write one as well.

(Also, do you ever share your email? If so, shoot me a line at tonggumomma(at)gmail(dot)com...)

Yoli said...

I joined, I love it and I am all for open records.

Kim Hancock said...

I've enjoyed going back through some of your older posts... this one got me! As an adopted child it would be comforting to me to have access to my family's medical history.

My mother has always been deeply offended by my desire to know my background. She says she was told there was no major illness documented in the family history and feel that should be enough for me.

My birth mother was just 15, so my thoughts are of course there isn't any real history... she had just turned 15. I'll soon be 35... what would records show now? Also, as improvements in medicine are made, conditions could be detected that weren't evident.

Again... I'm so happy for you both & the family. I can only imagine your mom's excitement!

-Kim

rosemary said...

Welcome, Kim! Thanks for sharing your story with us! It's so wonderful to have adult adoptees take the time to talk with us AP's about the things you've been through. I hope that hearing your stories will help all of us to be better parents to our little people. I hope you can get your family info some day!