Access to birth certificates in TN for adult adoptees

Here's a one-sided article ("Adult Adoptees Fight For Access to Original Birth Certificates" - ABC News) about mandating access to adoption files that were "sealed" at the time of the adoption. I say one-sided, because there are legitimate reasons to not overturn these laws--or standing "compacts" (if you will), between adoption agencies, birth parents and adoptive parents. The article only alludes to these reasons and seemingly attempts to dismiss any opposition with the sub-header, "Religious Groups Oppose Access to Original Birth Certificates" . . . you mean religious groups like the NJ Bar Association and the ACLU?

The New Jersey bill faces opposition from New Jersey Right to Life, the Catholic Church, the New Jersey Bar Association, the National Council for Adoption and even the ACLU, who defend the privacy rights of birth parents.

In any event, I was glad to see that Tennessee is listed as one of only 9 states where access to birth certificates is "broadly available."



For more information about adoption in Tennessee, please feel free to contact me through my website.

Adoption and the Gentleman Jihadist

Inside the story of the attempted Detroit terrorist attack of Christmas Day '09, there was a nugget of gold which is now part of this family's adoption story: ("Wisconsin family leaned on their faith on Christmas Day flight")

Members of a Wisconsin family aboard the Northwest Airlines flight in which a Nigerian man allegedly tried to set off an explosive on Christmas Day said their faith helped them endure the ordeal.

The Keepman family's nearly 30-hour journey from Africa to the United States started with the adoption of two orphans from Ethiopia. But near the end of their flight back to the United States, they tried to stave off the fear caused by the attempted bombing by holding hands and singing "Jesus Loves Me" at the back of the airplane bound for Detroit.

Top "Source" Countries For Foreign Adoptions In 2009

Here's some interesting data related to this story: Top Source Countries For Foreign Adoptions In 2009 - Family News Story - WSMV Nashville

Foreign Adoptions By Americans Hit 13-Year Low

WSMV in Nashville provides a nice story on adoption "Foreign Adoptions By Americans Hit 13-Year Low."

From the article:

NEW YORK -- The number of foreign children adopted by Americans plunged more than a quarter in the past year, reaching the lowest level since 1996 and leading adoption advocates to urge Congress to help reverse the trend.

Big declines were recorded for all three countries that provided the most adopted children in the previous fiscal year. In China and Russia, government officials have been trying to promote domestic adoptions, while in Guatemala, a once-bustling but highly corrupt international adoption industry was shut down while reforms are implemented.