MAY 26 • 2022 | 17
DNA testing has lifted the
veil of secrecy on closed
adoptions, also called
“confidential” or “secret”
adoptions. Once a com-
mon practice in the United
States, they make up only
5% of adoptions today.
Closed adoption is a
process by which an infant
is adopted by another fam-
ily, and the record of the
biological parent(s) is kept
sealed — protected from
inquiries.
Closed adoption was
often a societal solu-
tion intended to hide the
“shame” of children born
to unwed mothers. In the
1950s, social workers felt
no pressure to include
information about the father
in the records.
Closed adoption had the
benefits of protecting the
privacy of birth parent(s)
while preserving the rights
of adoptive parents to raise
their child without the dis-
traction or interference of
birth parents. Such adop-
tions allow for the most
privacy and may provide a
sense of closure for some
birth mothers.
At that time, a husband
and wife wanting to adopt
a child were generally
required to prove a diagno-
sis of the woman’s infertil-
ity, confirmed by a doctor.
Adoptive parents were
not allowed to obtain their
child’s medical history.
The closed adoption
system also denied infor-
mation to adults adopted as
babies in the 1950s. These
individuals, now generally
in their 60s, were left frus-
trated in their quest to find
their biological families.
Adults adopted in
Michigan are now able to
obtain their closed adoption
record. Google the “how-
to” question and find a link
giving instructions on the
Michigan.gov website.
— Esther Allweiss Ingber
Unlocking Closed Adoptions