Mission Statement and Ethos of Adoption Rights Alliance (ARA)

• The mission of Adoption Rights Alliance is to advocate equal human and civil rights for those affected by the Irish adoption system. 

• We acknowledge the negative effects of closed secret adoption imposed upon adopted people and natural parents. 

• We believe that adoption should only ever be in the best interests of children and should never be closed and secret.

• We recognise that the adopted person is the adult voice of adopted children.

• We hold the interests of adopted children and adopted people as paramount.

• We are committed to enabling continuous peer support and empowering our members with regard to adoption related issues. 

• We strongly advocate the unconditional opening of adoption files to adopted people who have reached the age of eighteen years. 

• We recognise that adoption files held by Irish adoption agencies, Health Service Executives and the Adoption Board are part of the natural family heritage arbitrarily and unjustly taken away from adopted people. 

• ARA strongly disagrees with and finds totally unacceptable the actions of the State, the Minister for Health and Children, the Department of Health and Children, the Adoption Authority, the Adoption Agencies, the Health Service Executives, Social Workers and members of the religious orders, in their ongoing policy of withholding files belonging to adopted people.

• ARA totally disagrees with the denial of information to adopted people under any guise, legislative or otherwise; past, present or future.

• ARA asserts that there is no shame in giving life nor in being born – no matter what the circumstances and ARA disassociates itself from any stigma associated with adoption.

• We advocate the abolition of closed secret adoption and advocate the research and development of more ethical child centred alternatives for children who genuinely need homes. 

• ARA is independent of all political and religious organisations and works actively to promote the rights and interests of adopted people in Ireland.

• ARA carries out its work in a democratic, non-discriminatory and inclusive manner.

• ARA’s work is carried out on a not-for-profit basis.

• All activities are carried out in accordance with the aims and structures set out in the ARA Constitution.  Those aims apply to the internal structures, processes, activities and decision-making procedures and to the external business of ARA.

Click the links for our Mission Statement,  Aims & Objectives and Public Disclosure Statement