Texas Blank Slate: Adopters Have No Right to Background Information

More tales from the wacky world of adoption. I am only going by the news article I’m using below. I’d like to think there is more to this story but since it’s Texas and the topic is adoption… WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth reports that the Texas Attorney General has told would-be adopters “Phillip” and “Sara” that they have no right to know the background of the four children they were adopting from the state’s foster care program. In 2008, already the parents of five biological children, the Arizona couple was suckered by a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services flyer advertising a sibling group. Before they knew it, instead of adopting one child as planned, they were hooked on the sibs. Although the sibs had suffered “some neglect and physical abuse,” Texas authorities, they claim, told them the kids, ages, 3, 4, 5,and 6 were healthy and not in therapy. They were assured that the children had suffered no sexual abuse. Within a couple weeks of arrival at their new home, the two oldest were molesting the younger bio kids. The Arizona placement agency the couple worked with told them to contact their Texas caseworker. The paperwork they received back Continue Reading →

CORRECTION: TEXAS HB 4470/SB 499: BASTARD NATION’S LETTER TO THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH–DEFEAT THEM!

I mistakenly posted the BN Action Alert a second time instead of the letter. Here is the correct post. Here is the letter Bastard Nation sent to the Texas House Committee on Public Health regarding HB 4470 and SB 499. We called for instructions to submit written testimony and learned that the legislature will only take in-person testimony. In other words, if an individual or organization wants their testimony on any bill to be on the record they may have to make an 8 hour drive or fly to Austin. And forget about faxing. It clogs up their machines and takes too much time. Please email! (See previous action alert for details) HB 4470 and SB 499 appear to be the handiwork of the so-called adoption reform organization TxCare. (webpage out of date.) So don’t‘ blame it all on the adoption industry. BASTARD NATION: THE ADOPTEE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION P.O. Box 1409 Edmond, OK 73083-1409 Phone/Fax (415) 479-3741 May 4, 2009 Re: HB 4470 and SB 499 Texas State Legislature House of Representatives Committee on Public Health Honorable Representatives: Bastard Nation: The Adoptee Rights Organization, the largest adoptee rights group in North America, opposes HB 4470 AND SB 499. We advocate Continue Reading →

BASTARD NATION ACTION ALERT– NO ON TEXAS: SB 499/HB 4470

BASTARD NATION: THE ADOPTEE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION ACTION ALERT TEXAS ACTION ALERT- EMERGENCY TEXAS SENATE BILL 499 & COMPANION HOUSE BILL 4470 We have an emergency in the Texas State Legislature. Probably one of the worst combination of so-called “adoptee rights bills” in history are on their way to crushing any chance of adoptee’s ever achieving equal access to birth certificates, now and in the future. Senate Bill 499 was engrossed and passed the Senate on April 28, 2009 and was sent to the House. A companion bill, House Bill 4470, has been waiting in the wings. On April 28, 2009, testimony was taken and registrations recorded in the committee. The bill has been left pending in committee. PLEASE WRITE AND CALL THE HOUSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TODAY. Ask them to vote NO to SB 499 and HB 4470. We must not allow this destructive bill to get any closer to the floor of the House. The bill must be killed RIGHT NOW IN COMMITTEE. Contact information appears below. SB 499 and HB 447 have some minor differences in language but they both contain the same myriad of humiliating restrictions on adoptee rights. In the Senate bill, an adopted adult can receive Continue Reading →