HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Labor COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR CARL D. PERKINS, Kentucky, Chairman FRANK THOMPSON, JR., New Jersey JOHN BRADEMAS, Indiana IKE ANDREWS, North Carolina EDWARD P. BEARD, Rhode Island BALTASAR CORRADA, Puerto Rico DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan PETER A. PEYSER, New York EDWARD J. STACK, Florida PAT WILLIAMS, Montana WILLIAM R. RATCHFORD, Connecticut RAY KOGOVSEK, Colorado DON BAILEY, Pennsylvania JOHN M. ASHBROOK, Ohio JOHN N. ERLENBORN, Illinois JAMES M. JEFFORDS, Vermont THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin CONTENTS Page Hearing held in Washington, D.C., on May 14, 1980...... Statements of- 1 Birth Mother (alias for anonymous individual). 8 Burgess, Linda, Washington, D.C.. 131 Duncan, Sydney, executive director, Homes for Black Children, 163 Dusky, Lorraine, New York, N.Y 120 Fisher, Florence, New York, N.Y. 133 Flynn, Laurie, executive director, North American Council on 156 Hoagwood, Barbara, director, Adoption and Foster Home Unit, 115 11 Perales, Cesar, Ássistant Secretary, Office of Human Development Rosen, Mrs. Lou, New York, N. Y. Scull, David, Chevy Chase, Md. Theban, John, director, Family and Child Services, Washington, D.C. 2 9 15 118 164 160 Dusky, Lorraine, author of "Birthmark," prepared statement of----- 125 142 Youth, Tressler-Lutheran Services Associations__ Prepared statements, letters, supplemental materials, etc.— of_ Schur, William M., Fort Worth, Tex.: "Alternative Model State Adoption Act," second revised dis- 65 "Alternative Model State Act for Termination of Parent-Child 18 Letter to Chairman Simon, dated May 14, 1980, re proposed 106 Theban, John, executive director, Family and Child Services of D.C.: 168 Commentary and critical analysis of the Model Adoption Act, 189 Memorandum to member agencies and league board, dated 176 Prepared statement of.. 66 Tremitiere, William C., administrator, Services for Children and 161 Weber, Susan A., director, Training and Technical Assistance (III) 7 APPENDIX Adoptees' Liberty Movement Association (ALMA), New York, N.Y.: "The ALMA International Reunion Registry Databank". Butcher, Preston, letter to Marion Wagner, comments on Model Adoption Congressional group statement, Model State Adoption Act, statement on Page 270 271 229 256 227 266 236 237 267 241 Illinois Catholic Conference, Social Services Division, Model State Adop- 244 220 224 Letter from Chairman Simon, dated May 5, 1980--- Letter to Chairman Simon, dated April 18, 1980, enclosing comments__ Gore, Hon. Albert, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of Krebsbach, Robert L., M.D., letter to Tom Birch, dated May 22, 1980-- "Court Judgment Wipes Out Legal Existence of Little Stevie 278 276 "Little Stevie Became the Center of Legal Wrangle Over Custody," 274 "The Room is Empty, the House is Quiet, Stevie is Gone," from 273 "Town Gets Behind Couple's Court Fight To Adopt Boy," from the Polsby, Daniel D., professor of law, Northwestern University School of 279 222 217 251 Vieni, Miriam, M.S.W., A.C.S. W., C.S.W., Westbury, N. Y., letter to 239 OVERSIGHT HEARING ON MODEL STATE ADOPTION ACT WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1980 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:04 a.m. in room 2261, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Paul Simon (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Members present: Representatives Simon, Beard, Kramer, and Erdahl. Staff present: Judith Wagner, staff director; Thomas Birch, counsel; Sylvia Corbin, executive secretary; Dianna Cregger, secretary; Terri Sneider, minority legislative associated; William C. Clohan, minority counsel for education. Mr. SIMON. The subcommittee meeting will come to order. The Subcommittee on Select Education is considering the proposed model State adoption act. In 1978 Congress enacted legislation designed to help the elimination of barriers to the adoption of children in institutions and foster homes who are often because of age, race, or disability, difficult to place. That Federal legislation, the Adoption Opportunities Act, mandated the Secretary of HEW to appoint an advisory panel whose job it would be to develop a model State adoption act that would serve to remove some of the legislative barriers to adoption. The panel has completed its work, the draft has been published in the Federal Register and will be open for comment for 120 days, until June 15. This hearing has been called to enable the subcommittee to hear testimony on the model act as it has been developed so far. I think it is important to emphasize that discussion this morning on the model legislation will center on what the advisory panel has proposed to the Secretary of HEW. In addition to receiving written comments, HEW has held public meetings in each of the 10 Federal regions to elicit additional comments on the provisions of the proposed model act. After the comments have been considered and the panel consulted further, HEW will issue a final model act. Then it will be up to the States to decide whether to enact or reject, in whole or in part, the provisions of the model legislation. I would encourage all individuals who wish to make their views known on the proposals of the advisory panel to address their concerns to the new Department of Health and Human Services-I have to get used to that title-before June 15. (1) |