I gave up my child in MI 41 yrs ago. During my 15 yr search for my biracial daughter, I have belonged to many support groups and have met many adoptees and birthparents. I have talked to many parents who gave up children who say they never asked for or were promised anything in writing as to confidentiality and hope to someday know the fate of their child. Most were was given no other alternative but to sign the papers in front of them. We were not given a copy of any of the documents we signed. It was never my desire to keep my identity from my child.

As for an adoptee needing to know I have heard from many adopted persons that there is a feeling of not being whole or something is missing. I don't think we can truly know how it feels unless we are adopted. I could go tomorrow and get a copy of any one of your birth certificates, yet an adopted person cannot get his own. Yes, I am in favor of open records and I feel it is an adopted person’s right to know who his blood relatives are and his medical history. I also feel the birthparents owe their children the knowledge of their heritage.

Everyday, I see hundreds of names of people who are searching and it breaks my heart. If you were to subscribe to a few adoption newsgroups you would see what I mean. A search of Google with "adoption search" in the search field will get about 215,000,000 hits!!!

I know I will continue to do all I can to support open birth records for adopted persons and their birth families. It seems to me it should be a basic human right to know who your family is and for a parent to want to know the fate of their child.

Thank you for your time.

Margaret S LyBurtus

Jesus said

"The truth shall make you free."