Adopted People Have Two Birth Certificates | Marilyn Mendenhall Waugh | TEDxTopeka

Most people are unaware that all US adoptees have two different birth certificates. The original birth certificate is issued at the time of birth and lists the birth mother as having given birth to the child-the birth father may or may not be listed and sometimes the male listed is a legal father with no biological connection to the infant. When an adoption is completed, a new birth certificate is issued, called the amended birth certificate, and the document reads as if the adoptive parent(s) gave birth to the infant. Over half of the states do not allow adopted adults to obtain the original birth certificate, which since the Patriot Act was enacted, creates obstacles for accessing government services. It is time to change to amended birth certificate to a certificate of adoption. Marilyn Mendenhall Waugh, MA is a reunited birth mother, Director of Adoption Concerns Triangle of Topeka, past American Adoption Congress (AAC) President and current AAC-KS State Representative. She volunteers on the Spokeo Search Angel Committee, is a AAC Presidential award winner, serves on the Missouri Birth Parent Communication Task Force, presents frequently at conferences on adoption search and reunion issues and is a Search Angel who, for the past 23 years, has reunited hundreds of family members separated by adoption. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx