Adoption Records

In 1917, the state of Minnesota took giant strides towards making adoption records a more private matter. For example, members of the general public who requested access to adoption records based solely on their curiosity were denied the right to view them. Most states in the United States soon followed Minnesota's example. However, the new laws did not totally seal the adoption records of this time. They were still open for review by any children or adults who were directly involved in an adoption. These parties of interest, as they were called, could view the adoption records at any time.

Soon after Minnesota's policies regarding adoption records were made known, many professionals in the field began pushing for a renewed sense of confidentiality in the process. They believed that anonymity was an essential ingredient towards making adoption records a truly confidential matter. Biological and adoptive parents were discouraged to meet, and states were encouraged to create entirely new birth certificates for adopted children. These new birth certificates would now list only the names of the adopting parents. The originals were to be sealed away, unavailable to nearly anyone who wanted them.

The idea of keeping adoption records tightly secured was very appealing to couples who were physically unable to bare children of their own. The new standards of confidentiality essentially allowed adoptive parents not to have to tell their children that they had been adopted. Another group who favored tight restrictions on adoption records was unwed mothers who had become pregnant. Due to the stigma attached to having children out of wedlock, many women appreciated the chance to give birth and put the child up for adoption without anyone else knowing about it. In addition, the new laws regarding adoption records allowed society to pursue the concept of "matching", which was an attempt to make adopting families appear as though they had a more natural creation. The goal was to keep the fact that a child had been adopted as secret as possible. This was accomplished by making sure that adoption records were closed to anyone but the adopting parents.

Confidentiality regarding adoption records was eventually converted into secrecy after World War II. Closed adoption records meant that even adult adoptees could not obtain information about their births and backgrounds. The intentions behind confidentiality were good. However, the sealed adoption records created an oppressive adoption closet. Even though the sealing of adoption records was a rather recent development, they were largely responsible for the adoption reform movement that developed during the 1970s. Adoption records activism attracted a great number of sympathizers, but achieved few meaningful victories. Today, sealed adoption records still lead to heated controversy. Disclosure, not secrecy, is now the norm when it comes to adoption records.

Due to the fragmented nature of public records between states and counties, many private companies have archived public records into massive databases for search on the internet. Database records contain vital records such as, birth records, adoption records, marriage records, divorce records, etc. These public records can be searched quickly and privately with results displayed on your computer screen in the comfort of your home. All searches are 100% anonymous. Our service subscribes to the most comprehensive public records database providers available on the internet. Ready to try and see if we have the records you are looking for? We encourage you to begin your search now.