There is good news for Ohio adoptees whose adoptions took place between 1 January 1964 and 18 September 1996. Beginning Friday, 20 March 2015, they or their lineal descendants may request their adoption files, which include original birth certificates (OBCs) and adoption decrees.
Adoption file access was previously unequal, with records allowed to adoptees born before 1964 and after 18 September 1996. Those who fell between those dates were denied access. The new law allows those who were born in Ohio and adopted between 1964 and 18 September 1996 to request their adoption files. The change provides Ohio adoption file access to all adult adoptees.
Birth parents of the 1964 to 1996 adoptees had a one-year period to request that their names be redacted. Those requesting a redaction were required to complete a medical form.
Adoption files must be requested from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). To learn how to request an Ohio adoption file, see the Ohio Department of Health website. A signed and notarized form, copies of two pieces of identification, and fee (presently $20), are required. The files will be mailed.
For information on the legislation, see the ODH website.
The ODH website includes a link to a short informational video.
Some supporters will meet in Columbus to celebrate the records opening. Follow celebration news on the Adoption Equity Ohio Facebook page.
An original birth certificate is created when a child is born. When a child is adopted, the birth certificate is amended. The names of the adoptive parents and the child’s new name replace the original birth certificate information.
Pingback: Recommended Reads | Empty Branches on the Family Tree