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Privacy A Crucial Component Of Adoption Process

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 19, 2007

Allowing the disclosure of birth mothers' identities to adult adoptees, as promoted by a recent report from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, is concerning.

As with any philosophical debate, there are strong arguments on both sides of the issue, but in my mind, nothing makes it acceptable to break promises of confidentiality given to women who made the difficult decision to place a child for adoption.

For 105 years, Children's Home Society of Florida (CHS) has provided adoption services designed to respect all members of the adoption triad - the birth mother, the child and the adoptive parent - serving the best interests of each.

Many adoptees searching for birth mothers today were born when a veil of secrecy shrouded adoption. Realizing they were not ready or able to parent a child, birth mothers found help in maternity homes and adoption agencies that identified loving families for their unborn children. To promise them anonymity during this vulnerable time only to break that promise years later is simply wrong.

CHS is among a small number of adoption agencies that maintain adoption archives and offer safe, confidential search and reunion services. Such services enable any member of the adoption triad to reach out to another, seeking anything from medical history to a one-time meeting over lunch to a long-term relationship. The key is that all contact is permission-based.

All identities are carefully protected by trained professionals who make preliminary contact to determine the interest of the party being sought. Safeguarding confidentiality is paramount, which means there are disappointments when a child or parent elects not to participate in a facilitated introduction.

Of 1,171 inquiries from individuals seeking a connection, CHS was able to serve 242 last year, after verifying that we handled their adoptions.

Search and reunion efforts face many obstacles beyond the reticence of some birth mothers. Locating long-lost family members is time and labor intensive and therefore costly. Fees to cover the necessary staff and technology resources are paid by the searching party, though many adoptees feel the service should be provided at no charge.

In years to come, the need for this service will diminish as today's birth mother has more adoption options when deciding the future of her child. She still may choose confidentiality, but many now prefer open adoptions where the level of contact is jointly determined by birth and adoptive parents and facilitated by an adoption professional. Additionally, much more family medical information is transferred today than in years past.

Fortunately, over time, we have changed the way we view adoption and related services. But the one thing we should never change is the way we view promises. They are to be honored, not broken.

David A. Bundy is president and chief executive officer of Children's Home Society of Florida.

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