U.S. Laws
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U.S. Laws |
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State by State |
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State adoption laws with regard to opening sealed records vary from state to state. Many states have provisions for reunion registries, intermediaries or contact vetoes. Currently, only Kansas and Alaska allow adoptees access to copies of their original birth certificates.
If you are looking for adoption laws in your own state, but don't find them listed here, they may not be accessible from the Net. You can get a copy of your state's adoption laws at no charge by contacting
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC)
P.O. Box 1182
Washington, DC 20013-1182
(703) 352-3488 or (888) 251-0075
Fax: (703) 385-3206
E-mail:
During your search you may also find the information on the following two important sites to be quite helpful:
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These organizations represent a broad spectrum of attitude and practices in the adoption community.
Adoptees Birthrights Committee
Adoption With Wisdom and Honesty, Inc.
Non-profit (503(c)(3)) Newsletter, support groups, educational events, supportive services and advocacy.
ALMA Society
Registry--state chapters. Membership $60/1st yr $40/yr renew. They do not tell members about free registries like ISRR. You have to pay yearly dues to stay on their registry.
Adoptive Parents for Open Records, Inc. (APFOR)
Seeks humane adoption reform, specifically open adoptions and open records. Speakers, educational media, mutual support and counseling.
Adoptive Parents for Open Records, Inc. (APFOR)
Seeks humane adoption reform, specifically open adoptions and open records. Speakers, educational media, mutual support and counseling.
Adoptive Families of America
A nonprofit membership organization offering information and support for adoptive families.
American Adoption Congress (AAC)
Coalition of triad members, agencies, and other professionals. Focus on legislative reform, openness, and the civil rights. Opposes the UAA.
American WWII Orphans Network
Locating service and registry.
National Association of Social Workers
The largest organization of professional social workers in the world. Oppose the UAA.
National Association of Black Social Workers
Noted for opposing transracial adoption as 'cultural genocide'. Oppose the UAA.
BirthParent Connection
Primarily a national Maternity Home/Home for UnWed Mothers registry. Birthmothers who new each other in the home can contact one another and adoptees can ask to speak to birth mothers who were in the home the same time as their mother. Send $5 with business size SASE.
Child Welfare League of America
Publishes the Adoption Report and the bimonthly magazine Child Welfare. Opposes the UAA.
Children with AIDS Project of America
Circle of Life Foundation
Worldwide support platform through the Internet Community for any adult adoptees point of view regarding being an adoptee. Web pages, news, expression, private Internet Listserv.
Committee For Single Adoptive Parents, Inc.
Listing of resources that have accepted single applications for domestic and foreign adoptions.
Concerned United Birthparents (CUB)
Legislative reform, local support groups, publications, and newsletter. Opposes the UAA.
Council For Equal Rights in Adoption (CERA)
President and founder -- Joe Soll. Primary activity is organizing a conference in NYC each fall, have organized public protests of closed records at each of their conferences. Opposes the UAA.
Donor's Offspring
Focus on those conceived from unknown donor parents. Proponents for more openness, more information. Pro-search for those who choose.
Hear My Voice
A coalition of advocates "... to promote the right of all children to have safe, permanent families." A successor coalition to the DeBoer Committees For Children's Rights
Indian Child Welfare Law Center
International Soundex Reunion Registry (ISRR)
Computerized international registry for those separated by their family through adoption, divorce, war, or other circumstances. No fee, runs on donations. Send business-size SASE.
Lost Bird Society
To help repatriate Native Americans separated from their tribes by adoption. They hope to also start a nest community where people can return and begin to learn of their culture.
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
Information and referrals on all aspects of adoption. Several pamphlets available on a variety of topics. Get those requests in before the next round of budget cuts.
National Adoption Information Hotline
Affiliated with People Searching News (?)
National Black Child Development Institute
Works to improve services delivered to Black children and youth in child care, child welfare, education, and health through direct services and public education. Among other works, permanent homes have been found for more Black children as a result of several affiliates' efforts to recruit Black families for children awaiting adoption and their work with local adoption agencies.
National Child Rights Alliance
The National Child Rights Alliance believes that civil rights apply to all people - including children and youth. Work to establish a child's right to his own lawyer in an attorney-client relationship not as guardian, and the right to liberty where a child has a say in where he lives and can not be institutionalized without due process.
National Council For Adoption
Bill Pierce, President. Recent lobby efforts include opposition of HB433 in TX which requires a 'social study' [home study] of all adoptive parents, a criminal background check of those seeking to adopt, and a 48 hour post-partum recovery period before birth parents can be approached with relinquishment papers. Original formed to oppose open record legislation, NCFA continues to lobby against open records/information access most recently in NJ, TN and other states. Supports the UAA.
National Council for Single Adoptive Parents
Newsletter and a list of agencies that accept applications from singles.
National Federation for Open Adoption Education/
Non-profit affiliation of open adoption agencies across US. Education, referrals, pre and post adoption services available.
National Indian Child Welfare Association
A potential resource for those seeking information on Native American Heritage under the ICWA.
National Organization for Birthfather's and Adoption Reform (NOBAR)
Focus on birthfather's rights in adoption.
North American Council on Adoptable Children
President- Joe Kroll. Primarily parents of special needs adopted children, also social workers, agency representatives. In the last 10-15 years have slowly come around to accepting more openness in adoption. Opposed to the Uniform Adoption Act.
Orphan Foundation of America
Founded in 1980 by Father Joseph Rivers, calls for a return to privately run orphanages. The Orphan Foundation has received recognition from Presidents Reagan and Bush, Senator Kennedy, and many other members of Washington's power elite.
Orphan Train Heritage Society of America
Focus on services for those "adopted" through the "orphan trains" of the 1920's.
The Researchers Clearinghouse
Listing of search services: USA, Canada and 24 other countries.