Working for Change

ADULT ADOPTEE RIGHTS

All adopted adults have the right to know their original identities and their medical and ancestral histories. In addition, they have the right to associate freely with others, including biological relatives, without government restrictions. In many provinces these rights are violated by restrictive laws, court decisions and public and private agency policy and services.

It is critical to restore the rights of adult adoptees and to restore these rights in law.


PROTECTION OF PREGNANT AND NEW MOTHERS

Pregnant and new mothers must be protected from the influence of Adopters and Adopting Agencies during pregnancy and after delivery for a period of at least ninety days.

Pregnancy, even when planned within a stable marriage can be a daunting prospect for women. Thousands of books have been published just to help mothers alleviate their fears and understand the stages and expectations of pregnancy; the hormonal changes, the challenges of the individual trimesters, and the inevitable labour and delivery. Pregnant women are concerned with nutrition, lifestyle,the emotional aspects of pregnancy, the fears of labour and delivery, and most of all their growing baby, it’s health and well being. This is a time in a women’s life when she needs support, particularly when she is young and unsure of how she will cope with an unplanned pregnancy.

The young pregnant youth/woman as stated above, is vulnerable and preoccupied with her pregnancy and her baby. She is hormonal, frightened and is extremely vulnerable to the coercion tactics of the Adoption Agenda as she genuinely loves her baby and wants what is best for her child. She can be easily influenced during her pregnancy.

The problems of infertile couples (although sad) have absolutely nothing to do with young, vulnerable pregnant and new mothers, and the idea that a mother should give them her baby “as a gift” is abhorrant.

The presence of adopters during pregnancy, delivery and post partum can cause extreme stress to a pregnant and post partum mother. The predatory and exploitive nature of the Adoption Agenda, their coercive tactics, savvy marketing, influence and/or financial help causes undue stress, coercion and pressure on a vulnerable young pregnant youth/woman which is unacceptable, and against the UN charter of keeping mother and baby together.

It is critical to review these practices and work for change in Canadian legislation.


THE TERM ‘BIRTHMOTHER’

The term “birthmother”, which is being widely used by society, governments, and even by mothers themselves (who do not know or understand the true origins ) is akin to many other words which we do not use in society today. The difference is, that groups have rallied together and fought against inappropriate terms applied to them by society, and have had new terms applied to their status which are acceptable TO THEM.

For example, terms such as African American, Disabled, Challenged, Little People, or First Nations are new terms which replaced others that were inappropriate, degrading, and disparaging for those groups. Society acted appropriately to change these terms when these groups became active and strongly advised us that they were not acceptable. Any term applied to a specific group should be appropriate to THE GROUP THEMSELVES, otherwise it becomes disrespectful. Specific groups in society should have self determination with respect to any term applied to them.

Once we understand how and why the term “Birthmother” was applied to us, and how it is used today to coerce young vulnerable women, it becomes impossible to embrace this term in any way. This is not a term that we created for ourselves, but a term created by the Adoption Industry for us.

The “birth” terms are not used in UK legislation, or even in Quebec legislation.

It is critical to change the use of these terms in Canadian legislation.

INFORMED CHOICE

All mothers and fathers considering adoption should have independent mandatory counselling regarding the emotional and psychological risks including lifelong long term effects of adoption on both the parents and their child.

Studies show that surrendering mothers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Disenfranchised and Pathological Grief, Moderate to Severe Clinical Depression, Secondary Infertility, Splitting of Personality, Chronic Anxiety and other Psychiatric disorders for the rest of their lives. Studies have also shown that Adopted Persons suffer Abandonment Issues, Trust issues, Behavioural problems and Anxiety Disorders.

Counselling must be completely independent from the Adopters or the Adopting Agency. The Adopters and Adopting Agency must not pay for the counselling, recommend, or know the counsellor and stiff penalties should apply for breach of these norms.

The Counsellor must be an independent Certified Adoption Counsellor who is respectful and supportive of Family Preservation. It is this Counsellors’ job to ensure that she/he is fully conversant in the resources that are available to the parents to ensure that they are able to make a fully informed decision. Whenever possible a Natural Mother/Father and/or an Adult Adoptee should also be made available to aid in the counselling of the parents. Counsellors must have at hand the studies stated above and make them available to the parents in writing.

It is critical that parents considering adoption have been made aware of the long term physical, emotional and psychological effects that surrender will have on themselves and their child.

FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR MOTHERS

All mothers in Canada should have access to financial resources which allow them to

raise their children on their own without fear or stigma.

It is critical to review these practices and work for change in Canadian legislation.

INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL

All mothers and fathers who are considering adoption must have Independent Legal Counsel, and not be counselled by the Legal Counsel of any Adoption Agency or Adopters.

CONSENTS TO ADOPTION

In Canada, a new mother can give her consent to an adoption anywhere from as early as 48 to 72 hours after a birth in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and New Brunswick respectively and up to 14 days in PEI. Most provinces are around 7-10 days after a birth. In what universe would any woman be advised to sign a permanent life changing document 48 hours after the delivery of a child except the adoption sphere? In the UK no adoption consent is valid if signed before six weeks after a delivery, but in North America, it is marketed as a positive feature for women to be able to sign papers this soon after delivery. There there are movements in Canada to make this consent period earlier and earlier as shown with the recent change in New Brunswick law to 72 hours. This quite obviously favours the adoption industry and not the best interests of mother and baby. The law should protect mothers and children from these early consent periods and lengthen these periods to 90 days after a birth, so that a mother has an opportunity to recover from the trauma and changes of childbirth and also to be able to step back and have some perspective on a very important life changing decision for both her and her child.

VETOES

In some provinces in Canada, records are open, but only conditionally.

Adopted Persons and Natural Mothers or Fathers are able to register Vetoes in order that their identifying information is not given to the other party.

Origins Canada does not support vetoes. Vetoes hurt people, and they hurt them deeply.

It has been argued that the personal information of the individual supercedes the rights of other individuals to have their own personal information. Origins does not agree. The rights of Adopted Persons to know their Origins supercede the rights of privacy of any Natural Mother. Most natural mothers want to reunite with their children, and the ones that don’t are the mothers still “in the adoption fog”, those mothers who are unable to open the wounds of the past and who have faithfully kept the secret they were bound to as a teen, probably from present husbands or other children. Their fear is real, and their fear drives them to place vetoes.

The current system is also flawed in that there is no verification of identity for the person filling out the Disclosure Vetoes.

Adopted Parents have been known to fill out these forms without the knowledge of the Adopted Person. The ramifications of this are obvious.

It is critical that Provincial Governments in Canada end the use of Vetoes. It is also critical that, while Vetoes continue to be the current law, Provincial Governments verify in person the identity of any person placing a Veto in Adoption Disclosure transactions.

It is critical to review these practices and work for change in Canadian legislation.

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