What do you want in Adoption Reform?

ok, i've learned a few things from a few people that i emailed but i want to open this up a bit

do I understand you correctly when i state that Adoption Reform includes the following:

1) All adoptions should be open (if i'm correct, to what degree of openness?)
2) If I'm incorrect about #1, is it that you want guardianships instead of adoption?
3) All OBC are made available at any time (prior to 18).
4) for profit agencies and private adoptions should be abolished.
5) The baby should stay with the mother for an extended period of time prior to relinquishment;

am i correct in what you're seeking? or is there something you want to elaborate on? Some people have stated that they want additional programs for mothers to be but what would you want in addition to current social service programs?

i am open and this is question to really see your stance beyond all the poop slinging - I am NOT trying to be confrontational but rather want to confirm your stance.

thanks.
Additional Details
ETA::: in regards to #5, babies staying with their moms prior to relinquishment, what is a reasonable amount of time that would not be (more) harmful to mother and baby? one week, two weeks, 3 months, etc?

LaurieDB

1) All adoptions should be open (if i'm correct, to what degree of openness?)
On a legal level, if an adoption is an open adoption, the open adoption agreement needs to be legally enforceable. On a more personal level, I do believe open adoption is preferable.

2) If I'm incorrect about #1, is it that you want guardianships instead of adoption?
I feel that in a number of cases that guardianship is preferable to adoption. This is particularly true in the case of family members who are taking over the care of a child.

3) All OBC are made available at any time (prior to 18).
I am for all OBC's being made available to adult adopted citizens, just as they are available to all adult non-adopted citizens. Equal treatment under the law.

4) for profit agencies and private adoptions should be abolished.
For profit agencies are money-driven. Something as important as the issue of having a child leave his/her family to become a part of another family should not be facilitated by organizations who may be skewed in the direction that will make them the highest profit. Private adoptions cause a number of problems, are they are normally pre-birth matches. I have previously discussed the problems I see in pre-birth matching for all parties involved, including the PAP's.

5) The baby should stay with the mother for an extended period of time prior to relinquishment;
I do believe it is best that a mother and child spend some amount of time together prior to relinquishment. Giving up one's own flesh and blood is a decision of great gravity. It should not be taken lightly. It is one thing to make such a decision when the child is yet unborn and not a full reality in the mother's life, so to speak. It is another for that mother to make that decision after the child has become a more complete reality in her life. This practice is utilized in Australia and works well to keep families together who don't necessarily need to be apart.

Gershom

I think that "adoption reform" can be different for all people. There is no outline of "adoption reform"

I have different goals than a lot of my adoptee online friends, some have soley an open records quest, for some limited access is enough, my goals exceed open records. So for both of us "adoption reform" can mean two different things.

I'll answer the questions according to me, and my feelings though.

1)Thats tricky. Do you mean open level of contact? If so , no, I don't. Some parents hurt their children and their children should be removed for good reason. Those children should be kept safe from their parents and not forced into more abuse.
Elligibility of access to opened records upon age of majority? I definitely support. I support first parents having access to our original birth certificates, and I support adoptees having access to our original birth certificates.
2)I support guardianships over many adoptions. Not all make it possible a few can't be a legal guardianship, but many could and I personally feel that guardianship honors the rights of the adoptee more than adoption from a legal perspective. I think guardianships are more respectful to the adoptee over adoption in general. However, I do realize some cases can't be guardianships where parental rights must have been terminated completely before an adoption.
3)Yes, I believe they should be. to underage adoptees as well.
4)Agree.
5)Yes in majority of situations.

I have to go, will edit and elaborate later.

Lori A

This is the topic of the day it seems. I have not been around long enough to really have a strong opinion. I have (and think others should) read as much material as I can get my hands on about reform. I have been into the web sites, government posts as to what is on some of these bills, listened to others opinions as to whether they think they are good clean bills or crap. I want equal rights for adoptees. It's only fair. I have my OBC, I know my family history, I have access to my medical information. These are all things that I took for granted and never gave a thought to until my daughter found me. Then I got involved here and on other sites. I can only hope that one day I have read enough and listened enough to have the same fire and passion and knowledge as some of the other people who are fighting for not only their rights but for the righs of so many others who have not even been born yet.

Can you imagine the day when adoptee's can walk into a doctors office and can fill out a complete form and not think anything of it (just like I don't). When one of them gets really sick and they actually have a place to start. When they can answer what race and nationallity they are. (like I can) This stuff is all huge for them. Your nose, I know where mine came from and now my daughter knows where her's comes from too. It took 35 years for her to find her nose. Why is it so hard to understand that some people just want what you have, a beginning.

magic pointe shoes

I think there is an additional point in the reform when it comes to informed consent with the potential adoptive parents and the expectant parents as to what complications and possible consequences come with adoption. There is so little support given to either to make sure the child in question is properly cared for when it comes to the adoption issues as they grow up.

Wundt

1 - NO. Open adoptions are not appropriate in every case, such as when the child has been removed due to abuse. If you said, "Make open adoption legally binding", then I would say yes (though, enforcement is still a problem).

2 - NO. Guardianships only make sense in certain situations. I believe that in most cases adoption protects the rights of both the adoptee and the adoptive parent.

3 - I have no problem with this (however, it is not an issue in any case I am personally familiar with).

4 - Agreed, or at least should be highly regulated on what can be charged.

5 - I don't think this is practical. What if the b-mother is homeless? Is a drug user? Or, just does not want to look after the child? Perhaps a better option is to require bio mothers to have independent couseling and consultation on available services prior to signing off on the adoption.

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