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Removing donor anonymity is essential for children, says BAAF

Issued: 21 January 04

The British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) has today welcomed government plans to lift donor anonymity, giving people conceived using sperm, egg or embryo donation the same rights as adopted people to find out about their genetic origins.

Donor anonymity will be lifted from 2005 so the first 18 year olds able to trace will be able to do so in 2023.

Felicity Collier, chief executive of BAAF, who is speaking at the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority (HFEA) conference on the welfare of the child today, said:

" Our experience in working with adopted children and adults has taught us a lot about the importance of being honest and open with adopted children about the circumstances of their adoption and the background of their birth parents."

"For most of us, our unique 'identity' and genetic history are important to us - we want to know from whom we got our unique personal characteristics - appearance, talents, likes and dislikes. We are all also entitled to information about health conditions we may have inherited which can literally save our lives."

"Adoptive parents want to know this too to help their children understand themselves better - research has shown that having this information in no way lessons the love and bonds which already exists between adopters and their children."

"BAAF believes that parents who have used donated gametes to create their families should be encouraged and supported to be open and honest with their children. People born in this way should have the same right to information about their genetic parents including the right to trace them."

"Adults (donors and parents) have a responsibility for children they help to create - society has a responsibility to meet the needs of tomorrow's children."

Ends

Contact:

Lucy Handford, Media Assistant, 020 7593 2054

Note

1. The British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) is the UK’s leading adoption & fostering charity. For more information visit www.baaf.org.uk

2. The HFEA Act 1999 states that account has to be taken of the welfare of any child born as a result of infertility treatment, but that the welfare of the child born is not given paramountcy over the welfare of any other parties involved such as prospective parents or donors.

3. The 2002 Adoption and Children Act makes the paramountcy of the welfare of the child a key principle in all decisions relating to adoption.

4. Since 1975 adopted people have had the right to access identifying information about their origins and the choice to trace and make contact with birth parents and other relatives. Since then, research and practice has shown that this has been a positive step forward as it has given adopted people, birth and adoptive parents the opportunity to make informed decisions that may profoundly affect their lives.