On November 14, 2019, Governor Cuomo signed legislation allowing New York adoptees to receive a certified copy of their original birth certificate. This legislation provides all adult New York adoptees or their direct decedent access to their birth certificates starting January 15, 2020. For over 80 years New York adoptees have been denied the same rights as non-adoptees to have their original birth certificate. Adoptee rights advocates for decades advocated adoptees should have the same human rights as non-adoptees to have their original birth certificate.
To learn the details of the advocacy efforts in New York, listen to April Dinwoodie’s Born in June Raised in April 1/14/2020 podcast with Tim Monti-Wohlpart. Tim shares the history of sealing birth certificates, what advocates needed to do to educate legislators, and why this is so important. More legislative changes will be needed for adoptees to obtain full access to their original adoption records.
This action should not make anyone fear that adoptees will be less attached to their adoptive parents if they know their birth parent’s names. Research has repeatedly shown that adoptees do best when adoptive parents acknowledge differences and take on unique adoptive parenting tasks like talking to their child about what it is like to be adopted and birth family (S. David Kirk Shared Fate, David Brodzinsky et al. Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self). An original birth certificate acknowledges adoptees’ life stories do not begin when they enter their adoptive family, their life story begins with their first family. Adoptees have two families-their birth/first family and their adoptive family. Denial of difference -raising the children “as if” they were born into the family has been shown to create distance between an adoptee and adoptive parent. Individuals worried this goes against the privacy promised to birth mothers at the time of relinquishment should understand this is a fallacy. Birth mothers signed relinquishment papers, not documents that promised privacy. In today’s world of the Internet and direct-to-consumer DNA testing, no one is guaranteed privacy. Adoption search and reunion research has shown the majority of birth mothers would like contact with their children. Individuals concerned about adoptees intruding on the lives of their birth parents should reflect on all estranged relatives have a right to locate a relative and the relative has the right to decide if they want continued contact or not. This legislation acknowledges adoptee rights should be the same human rights given to everyone.
If an individual is considering a reunion with a relative, I urge learning about adoption search and reunion experiences. There is extensive research that adoption reunion education is a key factor in navigating the emotional and complex adoption reunion experience. The adoption search and reunion blog post has extensive information and a list of adoption reunion research and resources.
The request for the birth certificate can be filled online (Department of Health reports the quickest way), in person at the Department of Health, or by mailing the form. Information on how to apply for adoptees not born in New York City can be found at the Department of Health at https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/preadoption.htm. Adoptees born within the five boroughs of NYC should contact the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, or visit their webpage at http://www.nyc.gov/vitalrecords for ordering information.
The Department of Health’s websites states that an application must be submitted with copies of either A or B:
One of the following form of valid photo-ID:
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- Driver’s license
- State-issued, nondriver photo-ID card
- Passport
- U.S. Military-issued, photo-ID OR
- Two of the following showing the applicant’s name and address:
- Utility or telephone bill
- Letter from a government agency dated within the last six months
Additionally, DOH has a NYS Pre-Adoption Birth Certificate Frequently Asked Questions about the process to obtain original birth certificates.
More legislative changes will need to be made for adoptees to obtain full access to their original adoption records.
I was interviewed by Alyssa Lotmore on the Social Workers Radio Talk Show WCDB 90.9 FM to discuss the new New York State law that permits adopted persons to get a copy of their original birth certificate and adoption reunion complexities. The discussion included the reasons adoptees do a search for their birth relatives, expectations for a reunion relationship, relinquishment trauma, the reasons adoption reunion relationships are complex, and keys to successful reunion relationships. The conversation wraps up with a discussion on adoption reunion resources for adoption triad members. If you miss the initial airing of the interview you can access the show by visiting
