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News
Net 5
Thousands of
Ohio adoptees will soon have access to birth records
by Debora Lee
Dec 17, 2013
CLEVELAND - Ohio Governor John Kasich will sign the Adoptee Rights bill
this week, giving 400,000 adoptees born in Ohio between 1964 and 1996
access to their original birth certificates.
"It's going to be another piece of the puzzle and help me complete who
I am," said Dan Smith, of North Royalton, who was adopted shortly after
his birth 45 years ago.
Smith has an amended birth certificate which contains the names of his
adoptive parents. However, he said it always raises questions in his
mind.
"I wonder what my real name is," he said. "I wonder where did I come
from, where did my life start."
The birth records won't be available until the spring of 2015,
according to Adoption Network Cleveland Executive Director Betsie
Norris, who has been pushing for the bill for 25 years.
"The new law gives the birth parent a form they can fill out saying
'Yes, I'd like contact. Here's my contact information.' 'I only want
contact through a third party and here's how to reach them.' Or, 'I'd
rather you not contact me but here's your medical history,'" Norris
said.
Birth parents can also opt to have their names removed from the birth
certificate. However, Norris said many adoptees have already contacted
birth parents without the help of birth certificates...
Read the rest of the article at News Net 5
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