Annette Baran passed away on July 11th.

Annette Baran is one of the co-authors of the book, The Adoption Triangle.

The Adoption Triangle is a classic. I found Baran’s book to be honest, articulate, well-versed in historic adoption practices, and full of insight. But here’s the thing. This book came out in 1978, and the fight for open records continues to slog on. Why? The known best practices of a lifetime ago are still not being practiced.

I read The Adoption Triangle ages ago as I began to search for my son, and found it to be a helpful book as I took my first steps on the road to reunion.

Thank you, Annette Baran. Rest in Peace.

There are videos of her interviews on Youtube. It’s really a thrill to see how her thinking on closed records evolves.

And here’s a quote from her obit in the L.A. Times. It says a lot about her clear thinking and her practical approach.

Her acceptance of working in an era of sealed records and secrecy surrounding adoption eroded after a birth mother insisted on meeting the potential adoptive parents, Baran later said.

As Baran watched the back-and-forth between the couple and birth mother, she said she thought, “This is pretty good. Why does this have to be secret?”