A reluctant poster mother for adoption reform

When my surrendered daughter contacted me 18 years ago, appearing in the Oregonian, Oregon's largest newspaper, was the farthest thing from my mind. I had kept my secret from all but a few people for 31 years and the thought of sharing it made me a nervous wreck.

Sunday my story was included in an article by Amy Wang about Oregon's 2014 law allowing adoptees and natural parents to access their court adoption files. These files allow mothers to learn the adoptive name of their child and the names of the adoptive parents.

Oregon to allow first mothers easier access to child's adoption records

Governor John Kitzhaber

Mothers of children they relinquished for adoption will have an easier time learning their lost child's new name and the names of his adoptive parents in Oregon after January of next year, representing a sea change in attitudes toward birth mothers. This law, signed by Gov. John Kitzhaber earlier this month, requires a judge to allow access to much of the court records of their children's adoptions unless there's a good reason not to. This is a switch from current law, where judges deny access unless they find a compelling reason for it. This will be the first time in the country where the legal presumption favors a birth mother's access to the information, rather than deny it.