TRIADOPTION ® Library, Inc. - CA ~ Pg 369-480

Agency Interaction]
by PAT O'GORMAN - birthparent, adoptive parent, C.U.B. member; L.E.A.F. treasurer -Minnesota
Social Service Agencies were designed
to promote the we1 fare of
the comuni ty and the individual ;
they are empowered and governed by
State and Federal Laws.
Interaction between two parties
can only be less than gratifying
when one of the two has all the
questions and the other all the
answers (and is limited by law as
to how niany answers may be given) .
It is an authoritative-subjective
re1 ationshi p.
Keeping the above in mind, I would
,say "agency interaction" is as favor-
.able as i t can be given the ci rcum-
stances. There are 96 Social Service
Agencies (pub1 ic and private) in
Minnesota; LEAF & CUB have chosen to
work with the. 6 major agencies. They
have welcomed us to their staff and
committee meetings , ,workshops , advi
sory boards and conferences in an
effort to gain an understandi ng'of
our perspective.
LEAF feels, in the 4 years passed,
it has adequately presented it's be-
1 iefs concerning the "adoptee's right
to know". They (agencies), understand
the issues. They agree only
in part with our beliefs, hence the
'mutual consent Birth Certificate Law
passed June 1977. is, we ... cpmpromis,ed.
Currently the ~epartment of' ~i
Statistics has received 402 Adoptee
requests for the original certificate
of birth. The aqencies have filed
309 case resul tswwi th the State Dept.
of Adoptions, the remaining 93 are
in process. After the first of the
year - they will be ready to publish
the total breakdown results. We do,
however, have statistics from the
first 6 months, as follows: 94
requests - 93 birthparents located
and notified for consent to release
OBC (1 BP out of the coup.try not
located). Of these, 24 did not respond
(positive results from court
oetition 1 i kely)**
You may look at the negative side;
LEAF has chosen to see the positive
effects of this law. and accept what
cannot be changed in this state. ...
for the time being.
WE BELIEVE IT IS TflE ABSOLUTE
RIGHT OF EVERY ADOPTED PERSON TO
KNOW THE IDENTITIES OF HIS/HER
BI RTHPARENTS. We, a1 so, be1 i eve the
only way this can be accornpl ished
(retroactively and within the next
decade) is through Federal Court on
the grounds of discrimination for
the ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE ONLY!
It is simple and clear cut. "Every
American regard1 ess of race, color,
creed, re1 i gious and pol i tical be1 ief
has the right to access' to a copy of
.hi s ori gi nal birth certi f i cate EXCEPT
'the ADOPTED AMERICAN".
Now, if LEAF
were a 1 arge organization or had' une
wealthy member we could act on our
be1 i ef s , unfortunately, we aren' t ,
we don't and so it wi 11 all take more
time.
Back to agency interaction ....
CUB of Minnesota has been organized
for drily 10 months, it is new, it is
growing, it is working hard. Again,
agencies are listkning but there is
much work to be done before any
charhes can be considered.
I iould say we have benefited from
tal gaining an understanding of those . .
. . we ask understanding of.
**The State Department of Adoptions
has prepared an "example letter of
petition" ; unless your situation
is extraordi nari ly compl i cated or
you an.l;i cipate legal difficulties,
any adoptee in this state no longer
needs an attorney to peti'tion th'e
courts.