The announcement of Hillary Rodham Clinton this weekend running for President has sparked my interest once again in the election and those who are campaigning interests in adoption and adoption records.

An article at http://edition.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/03/17/hillary.adopt/index.html dated March 17, 2000 quotes the first lady is quoted saying “There was a time, when adoptive parents were selected on the basis of their wealth and material possessions. But changes have been made and the emphasis has shifted to helping move children into healthy, stable adoptive homes. “

In the article the first lady explained she has had a long history working with adoption and foster care issues and she believes times have changed for the better on placing children in supportive home environments. Mrs. Clinton is quoted saying “The very first case I did as a young law student was to work with a lawyer to try to help a foster mother adopt a young foster child. In those days, back in 1970, often times the decisions were made not on the best interests of the child but who had the biggest house or the most material possessions. We've come a long way to make adoptions much more available and affordable for all people,"

About Hillary at the official Hillary Clinton website at http://www.hillaryclinton.com/about/ it states that Hillary’s work for women has been recognized and admired around the world. She has traveled the globe speaking out against degradation and abuse of women and standing up for the powerful idea that women’s rights are human rights.

In the White House, Hillary led efforts to make adoption easier and helped launch a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy as well as helped create the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 which moved children from foster care to adoption more quickly. This federal adoption law requires states to begin terminating a parent's right to her child after the child has been in foster care for 15 of the last 22 months. Many incarcerated women are serving prison terms longer than that. Exceptions allow caseworkers to examine individual cases for compelling reasons not to file.

Now, with all that said, I wonder what Hillary’s position on access to adoption records and adoptees having access to their original birth certificates is. What do you think?