The effects of the sealed record in adoption.

The authors found that 40 of 50 adult adoptees who had reunions with their birth parents found the experience satisfying. Only 10% of the birth parents reacted adversely, although negative response were somewhat more common among the adoptive parents. These findings confirm the author's belief that adoption practices, which in all but 4 states include permanent sealing of birth records, should be changed to recognize the life-long nature of adoption. Their recommendations include opening the records for adult adoptees, creation of agencies to be available to provide assistance and counseling for all involved (adoptees, their adoptive parents, and birth parents), and consideration of new adoption methods that would not require biological parents to forever relinquish their child and all knowledge of him/her at adoption.