Comments on: No Birth Records = Tough Road Ahead When Aging Out of Foster Care http://www.thedefendersonline.com/2010/06/08/no-birth-records-tough-road-ahead-when-aging-out-of-foster-care/ A civil rights blog promoting informed discourse on issues of race, justice, equality and democracy. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:11:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Leland Morrill http://www.thedefendersonline.com/2010/06/08/no-birth-records-tough-road-ahead-when-aging-out-of-foster-care/comment-page-1/#comment-9738 Leland Morrill Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:15:47 +0000 http://www.thedefendersonline.com/?p=13829#comment-9738 Tarice, I have a Facebook Page "Adopted Native American Citizenship Affected by The REAL ID Act of 2005" Link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adopted-Native-American-Citizenship-Affected-by-The-REAL-ID-Act-of-2005/165349256848200?sk=wall Please feel free to "like" my page. I am Navajo and was adopted out of the Navajo Nation in 1971 to an anglo family without a Birth Certificate, Navajo Census Number or Certificate of Navajo Indian Blood. I am now twenty two years into my research and because of social networking am making progress. Leland Morrill, born Leland Kirk Tarice, I have a Facebook Page “Adopted Native American Citizenship Affected by The REAL ID Act of 2005″
Link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adopted-Native-American-Citizenship-Affected-by-The-REAL-ID-Act-of-2005/165349256848200?sk=wall
Please feel free to “like” my page. I am Navajo and was adopted out of the Navajo Nation in 1971 to an anglo family without a Birth Certificate, Navajo Census Number or Certificate of Navajo Indian Blood. I am now twenty two years into my research and because of social networking am making progress.
Leland Morrill, born Leland Kirk

]]> By: Bettie V. Beard http://www.thedefendersonline.com/2010/06/08/no-birth-records-tough-road-ahead-when-aging-out-of-foster-care/comment-page-1/#comment-5849 Bettie V. Beard Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:14:40 +0000 http://www.thedefendersonline.com/?p=13829#comment-5849 There should be a simple solution to this problem, but it seems like no agency wants to take the responsibility of ensuring that all children have both a birth certificate and social security numbers by the time they enter first grade. In Texas, all children now have to have both birth certificates and social security numbers, especially when they enter the system. I don't understand how something like this is neglected by local and state agencies. This is something that I thought had been resolved across the country. Years ago, when i first became a Social Worker, we would have older adults coming to the office who had never had their birth recorded. We would assist them in completing affidavits and help identify witnesses for them. It was amazing to me at that time that people would not have any idea how to start the process, but even more amazing that we had to search for witnesses. For a number of individuals, this meant a delay in receiving widows' benefits and Social Security benefits. In today's society with all the technological advances in communication and data compilation, there is absolutely no excuse for any individual to have to use techniques of the late early '70's in order to validate an individual's existence. The Child Welfare System in America needs a total revamping for their irresponsible handling of records for children in their care and for numerous other reasons. There should be a simple solution to this problem, but it seems like no agency wants to take the responsibility of ensuring that all children have both a birth certificate and social security numbers by the time they enter first grade. In Texas, all children now have to have both birth certificates and social security numbers, especially when they enter the system.

I don’t understand how something like this is neglected by local and state agencies. This is something that I thought had been resolved across the country. Years ago, when i first became a Social Worker, we would have older adults coming to the office who had never had their birth recorded. We would assist them in completing affidavits and help identify witnesses for them. It was amazing to me at that time that people would not have any idea how to start the process, but even more amazing that we had to search for witnesses. For a number of individuals, this meant a delay in receiving widows’ benefits and Social Security benefits.

In today’s society with all the technological advances in communication and data compilation, there is absolutely no excuse for any individual to have to use techniques of the late early ’70′s in order to validate an individual’s existence. The Child Welfare System in America needs a total revamping for their irresponsible handling of records for children in their care and for numerous other reasons.

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