Legal Research

Ontario?s Adoption Records ? Now Open

By Connie Crosby

In May 2008, Ontario passed the Access to Adoption Records Act, 2008, S.O. 2008, c. 5. As of June 1, 2009, adoption records in Ontario are now open. From an ad placed by the Ontario government in a local newspaper:

This means that adopted adults and birth parents can apply for post-adoption birth information from birth records and adoption orders.

An adopted adult, 18 years of age or older, can now apply for a copy of his or her original birth registration and adoption order. A birth parent can receive information from the birth registration and adoption order of the child that was placed for adoption once that child turns 19 years old.

From the Ministry of Community and Social Services website:

Adopted adults and birth parents also have the option to protect the privacy of their post-adoption birth information. Adopted adults and birth parents can:

• file a notice of contact preference to specify how they would like to be contacted
• file a no contact notice if they do not want to be contacted, but are willing to have their identifying information released
• file a disclosure veto if the adoption was finalized before September 1, 2008. This will prevent identifying post-adoption birth information from being released.

Related links:

Searching for Adoption Information in Ontario (Government of Ontario)

Bill 12, 2008 (Ontario Legislative Assembly)

Attention Families Touched by Adoption in Ontario (Adoption Council of Ontario) – PDF document

Adoption Council of Ontario

Full post as published by Slaw.ca on July 13, 2009 (boomark / email).