Connecticut has allowed adults adopted after October 1983 to access their original birth certificates since 2014. A bill recently proposed to the state’s legislature would do away with the 1983 cutoff and open records to all adoptees age 18 or older. Read more and support this bill at accessconnecticut.org.

Oregon’s legislature is considering House Bill 2216, sponsored by the Oregon Foster Youth Connection (OFYC), which would help preserve sibling bonds among foster youth. The “Sibling Bill of Rights” seeks guaranteed visitation rights for siblings, the right to be notified of placement changes, the right to be involved in adoption proceedings, and additional provisions.

South Dakota is considering Senate Bill 149, which would allow faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples and single parents. The bill’s sponsor calls it a “protection bill for religious organizations,” but it would deny many children in the state’s foster system the opportunity to grow up in a loving home, and many prospective parents their dream of raising a family.