[njadoptee]

Most of you know me as the person being the cheerleaer in trying to reform laws in North Carolina.

In 2007 or organization went before the NC legislature trying to get access to the orignal birth certificate. But we settled for the Confidential Intermediary Program when we were told we would not get the votes for the OBC.

We could have gotten the OBC with a Contact Veto.

The questions I have are the following:

What is access to either the OBC or adoption files about?

Rights?

Reunion?

Our legislators want to protect 'birthmother's'. They say they were promised confidentiality and privacy - JUST BECAUSE THE RECORDS WERE SEALED!

As an adoptee, if you could get access to your adoption file, but your birthparent stated NO Contact, would you contact them anyway?

What if there were a contact veto put in by the birthparent which meant if you contacted them they could sue you? Would you contact them?

Is getting access to the information also about reunion?

or Is it strictly about the right to having what is yours?

Are those of you out here happy with the current confidential intermediary bill we passed?

Is there other changes you would like to see made to that bill?

Would you rather just be able to have access to your records?

If you live in NC, would you be willing to help by putting up flyers in your hometown about access to records?

I would really appreciate answers to these questions from those of you who come out here to search.

It is important for what our organization continues to do for the members of the adoption constellation in the future.

You can email me at nccar@mindspring.com to give me your answers.

Thank you for your time and attention to answering this.

Roberta MacDonald
Chairwoman - NC Coalition for Adoption Reform
NC State Representative and Board Member of the American Adoption Congress