Finding family and getting an original birth certificate just will be easier for Vermont adoptees

Finding family and getting an original birth certificate just will be easier for Vermont adoptees as part of a new law going into effect in July. The new adoption law will grant adoptees more information about their biological family. It’s about knowing the full extent of their origins, including medical history and ancestry. This bill is about adopted folks having access to their own records, records that no one else in our society is denied access to. Under current Vermont law, getting an original birth certificate is a lengthy process and there are certain stipulations that prevent adoptees from having access. Even under the new law, adoptees’ biological parents still have the option to withhold personal information. The process speaks volumes about how society views adopted individuals. Adopted people we need parents’ permission in order to access permission about themselves. We all have a fundamental human right to know who our biological parents are and where we came from and what our origins are. Parents who want to fill out non-consent forms need to contact the state by July 1st. That means identifying information won’t be released, but their names would still appear on birth certificates.