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| Jane and Lorraine, 1983 |
Some gains, some frustrations...that's the year in adoption news.
- Adoption was in the news this year starting in January with Oprah's revelation that she had a sister who had been adopted. This being about Oprah, her sister's lengthy search was documented everywhere, providing a spotlight on the fact that individuals who are adopted are still denied free access to their original birth records in the vast majority of states, though many have half-way measures in place.
- The best news of the year was the Rhode Island--the smallest state in the Union--passed a bill that will allow anyone 25 and over full access to their original birth records come July 2012. The age of 25 was a compromise after Senate Majority Whip Maryellen
Goodwin, a Democrat from
Providence, wanted to raise the age to 30 so adoptees wouldn't ask for their
birth certificates out of spite. Goodwin's sister has two adopted
children. “I think 18 is too young,” said Goodwin. “It’s a tender age. I want them to be able to find
their records in an appropriate and meaningful kind of way,
