Je Jewi wish Genea Genealogy Soc ociety of of Cl Clevel eland - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Presentation t to t the Je Jewi wish Genea Genealogy Soc ociety of of Cl Clevel eland Betsie Norris, Executive Director June 6, 2018

Adopti tion Ne n Netw twork C Clevelan and Our Mission To connect and empower individuals, organizations, and communities impacted by adoption and foster care, and provide a source of healing for those in need. 2

Adopti tion Ne n Netw twork C Clevelan and Betsie Norris' birth mother holding her prior to her adoption.

Adopti tion Ne n Netw twork C Clevelan and Pictures of Betsie's adoptive family (She's the redheaded kid.)

Adopti tion Ne n Netw twork C Clevelan and Reunion photos – Betsie with her birth parents and siblings, her adoptive and birth parents together, and her birth and adoptive parents when her son was born.

Demographics Touched Adoptive Youth in Birthparents Adult Professionals and Kinship Foster Care and Families Adoptees Families 6

30 Years o of f Impact ct • Created a community where none existed • Empowered people to get needs met • Inspired groups across the country • Acceptance of openness and truth in adoption • Led the reduction from 1,700 youth waiting for adoptive families in Cuyahoga County Foster Care in 2004 to 560 today • Changed agency practice

30 Years o of f Impact ct • 800+ children and youth have permanent families through the Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids Initiative • Thousands of searches and reunions supported/facilitated • 70,000+ contacts responded to through our Adoption Helpline

Advocacy • Passed legislation opening 400,000 birth records to Ohio adult adoptees in 2015 • Passed legislation in 2006 to allow adults who age out of foster care to be adopted as adults • Promote legislation to increase permanency and stability for youth in foster care • Promote child welfare funding in the Ohio budget

Ohi Ohio A Adop doptee Birth th Certi tifica cate La e Law Adoptees have two birth certificates • • The original, which is sealed upon adoption • The amended, which is created upon adoption reflecting the adoptive parents Ohio Law prior to 2015 • • Three-tiered system • Pre-1964 – sealed but were always accessible to the adoptee at age 21 • 1964-1996 – sealed and not accessible to the adoptee • Post-1996 – sealed, accessible to the adoptive parents at 18, adoptee at 21

Advocacy

Ohi Ohio A Adop doptee Birth th Certi tifica cate La e Law • Ohio Law implemented March 20, 2015 after 25+ years of advocacy • Adoptees 18 years and older can request and receive their original birth certificate • Birthparent had 1-year window to redact their name (259 out of 400,000 records did so) • Birthparent can file a Contact Preference Form

Birth C th Certificat ates es n never se seal aled ed  Never Sealed  Alaska  Kansas

Previousl sly-close sed, n , now accessi ssible  Oregon  Hawaii  Tennessee  Ohio  Maine  New Jersey New Hampshire Pennsylvania    Rhode Island  Missouri  Alabama  Washington  Colorado  Connecticut (post-1983)  Illinois  Indiana

Legislation t to o creat ate a access  Arkansas (Effective 2019)  New York  Texas  Montana  Connecticut (pre-1983)  Florida  Massachusetts

Other i Oth informat ation r reso sources  Other information helpful in search  “Non-Identifying Information” available from the adoption agency  DNA testing  23andMe and Ancestry  Adoption Network provides expert assistance in searches

Betsie Norris, Executive Director (216)482-2314 Co Cont ntact U Us betsie.Norris@adoptionnetwork.org (216 216) 3 325-1000 adoptionne onnetwork.o .org