1853 - NEW YORK
The Children's Aid Society was founded by Charles Loring
Brace in New York City.
The Orphan Train Movement began. 4
1921 - ONTARIO, CANADA
In the First Adoption Act in Ontario, there was no mention of sealed
records. 2
1923 - NEW YORK
After years of placing children with families in the West through
the Orphan Trains, the Childrens Aid's Society created a formalized
foster care department, which included permanent adoption services.
The agency initiated what is now its current policy of "Neighborhood-based Foster Care & Adoption," which
aims to place foster children with families locally. 4
1925 - FINLAND
All adoption documents were made available to all parties in an
adoption with the provision that they be open and honest with each
other. 2
1927 - CANADA
Secrecy in adoption is introduced in the new Adoption Act, apparently
copying a similar 1926 Act in England. Adoption law at this time
reveals the opinions and social mores of the time. Adopted persons’
birth certificates in Canada are legally falsified all the while
other European countries were basing adoption law on honesty and
truth for all parties. 2
1929 - NEW YORK
Last group of children placed with families out West. 4
1930 - SCOTLAND
Adult adoptees had access to their birth records. There has been
no complaints of invasion of privacy recorded in 60 years. Counselling
is optional. 2
1956 - HOLLAND
By age 12, the adoptee and his/her adoptive parents had access to
full adoption records. Contact with birth parents was arranged at
the adoptee’s request. 2
1960 - ISRAEL
Adult adoptees could access their birth certificate subject to counselling
and a 45 day waiting period; the adoptee had the choice to either
meet or not meet her/his birth parents. There was found to be very
few difficulties. 2
1960 - FRANCE
As original birth certificates were not ammended in France, the
birthname of the adoptee was not a secret. 2
1960 - SWEDEN
All parties in an adoption had access to information. As in Finland,
no adoption restrictions existed within the Freedom of Information
laws. 2
1970’s - NORTH AMERICA
Social movements on civil rights for adopted persons were emerging.
2
1970 - CANADA Adoptees born after 1970 did not have their birth surnames
on their adoption orders: rather it showed the first letter followed
by a serial number. This practice continues to this
day. 2
1974 - BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
The support and activist group for the adoption circle, ‘Parent
Finders”, was founded in Vancouver, followed soon after
by groups in other provinces, including Ontario. 2
1975 - ENGLAND
England restored the unqualified right to the original birth registration
to adult adoptees. Letters were received prior to the law change
of 1975, fearing invasion of privacy. No complaints of actual invasion
of privacy were reported by 1980. 2
1978 - CANADA
First passive disclosure registry is formed. 2
1980 - ONTARIO, CANADA
Government attempted to cut off access to “non-identifying”
information with Bill 77. 2
1984 - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Victoria opened birth records to adult adoptees following England's
example. Later Victoria created special and unique assistance to
adoptees searching for information. No problems were reported. 2
1984-85 - ONTARIO,
CANADA
The adoption community rallied in favour of open records. Public
pressure led the Ontario government to commission Dr. Ralph Garber,
dean of the faculty of social work at the University of Toronto,
to table a report on adoption disclosure. He recommended that records
be made available, on request, to adult adoptees. His research determined
two principles concerning disclosure:
facts surrounding an individual’s adoption belong to
that person, no matter where the information is stored and
revealing those facts has not been shown to cause harm.
His recommendations were not followed. 2
1985 - NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand followed Australia’s suit and expanded on the changes
made in Victoria. Access was qualified by one informational counselling
session and an optional information veto. The information veto was
found to be unworkable and unfair by some adoptees. Some successfully
broke it and made contact with the person placing the veto. Such
birth parents who were found by their children were satisfied with
the contact and did not complain. It was shown that the veto requested
was not intended to protect the birth parent but someone close to
them. This led to broad social reforms in adoption and post-adoption
services. The results are extremely positive. Many jurisdictions
in Canada and the USA today are using the successful Down Under
changes as a basis for their reforms. 2
1985 - ALBERTA,
CANADA
The post-adoption registry is set up, linking family members if
they register and agree to exchange information. 3
1986 - ONTARIO, CANADA
Liberal government enacted some of Dr. Garber's recommendations:
adoptive parent veto power was rescinded, “non-identifying”
information was defined and access codified, siblings were recognized,
and the provincial registrar was empowered to conduct searches for
a birth relative on behalf of adopted persons. 2
1987 - ONTARIO, CANADA
Freedom of Information Act in Ontario exempts adoption information
from the rights given to all other citizens, without consultation
with those persons or groups so denied. According to the Child and
Family Services Act, Part VII, the Register is renamed the Adoption
Disclosure Registry. 2
1990 - NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA
Adult adoptees have access to their birth records while birth parents
have no access. Learning from the New Zealand experience, NSW do
not offer an information veto but only a contact veto, accompanied
by an explanation. This veto is honoured to a very high degree.
2
1993 - ONTARIO, CANADA
The Adoption Reform Coalition of Ontario recommends the unqualified
right to access identifying information for all adults affected
by adoption law, consistent with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. 2
1994 - ONTARIO,
CANADA
Tony Martin (NDP) presented a private member’s bill (Ontario's
Adoption Disclosure Bill 158) in the House which would address the
rights of the adopted by granting them access to their birth certificates,
just like any other person born in Ontario. The bill passed 2nd
reading by a vote of 49-3, and was sent for assessment to the Standing
Committee on Social Development. However on December 8th,
six M.P.P.’s managed to filibuster, or delay reading, of the
Bill so that it could not be brought to a vote on this last day
of the fall session despite the unanimous support of the
Standing Committee. 2
1994 - ONTARIO, CANADA
Adoptees may obtain a copy of their Adoption Order. 2
1995 - CANADA
The Child Welfare Act is changed to allow licensed search agencies
to help adoptees find their birth families for a fee. 3
1995 - CANADA
Birth parents can now use the services of licensed search agencies
to find children. The agencies have no access to the child’s
new surname. 3
1995 - ALBERTA,
CANADA
Government begins releasing the surnames of the birth parents to
adoptees, but does not give the parents' full names. 3
1996 - CANADA
On June 24th ‘CANADopt’, a web-based association of people
searching for family lost through adoption, put up their first website.
1
1996 - BRITISH COLUMBIA,
CANADA
Government opens adoption records to all parties in adoption. The
new legislation includes a no-contact declaration and a veto to
allow birth parents to ensure that their names will not be released.
3
1998 - ONTARIO, CANADA
Ontario Ombudsman Roberta Jamieson reported early in the
year, that the ministry is under staffed, and the adoption disclosure
registry has more than 16,000 name. The wait for a match is more
than seven years in most cases. 2
1998 - ONTARIO,
CANADA
Bill 88 was introduced in the Ontario Legislature by Marilyn Churley
on December 2nd. The bill is essentially the same as Bill 158. Ammendments
recommended by the Last Standing Comittee in 1994 have been included
in this new bill. 2
1998 - NORTH WEST TERRITORIES, CANADA
The new Adoption Act for the NorthWest Territories came into force
on November 1st. With any adoptions that will occur under this new
act, adopted persons who are the age of majority will be able to
access birth records, as will birth parents (when the child they
have placed for adoption reaches the age of 19). Adoptions that
have been processed prior to November 1st 1998 will follow prior
procedures. Specifically, if one party is looking for birth family,
they will assist in contacting the other party: if permission is
given they will disclose information. 2
1999 - NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA
In May, the former Liberal government eliminated fees for
information searches for adoptees and birthparents.
‘Parent Finders’ has long been fighting for open
access to long-form birth certificates, which provide information
like where and when people were born, medical facts and the names
of their birth parents. Due to long waiting lists, adult adoptees
must wait for 18 months just for non-identifying information like
the educational and religious backgrounds of their birth parents.
After debate in the legislature over proposed amendments to the
Adoption Information Act, the government sent the bill to the Law
Reform Commission of Nova Scotia for review and recommendations.
3
1999 - NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA
Government opens adoption records to adult adoptees. 2
1999 - QUEBEC, CANADA
An interministerial committee, presided by Vital Simard, finds in
favour of the disclosure of the identity of birthparents to adult
adoptees. ‘Mouvement Retrouvailles’, a group which offers
support to people in search of birth family, worked with the committee
to recommend the opening of adoption records, using British Columbia
as a model. The Simard report was to be presented at the fall legislative
session: public consultation methods still needed to be determined.
2
2000 - ALBERTA,
CANADA
All children adopted in Alberta after 2000 will have full access
to all of their adoption records, including birth certificates.
3
2000 - OREGON,
USA
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor refused to continue
a hold on Measure 58, which gives adult adoptees the right to see
their birth certificates. It was the adoption activist and support
group ‘Bastard Nation’ that led the campaign. The law,
approved by voters November 3rd, 1998, has been tied up in court
since. The final stay on the law, ordered by the Oregon Supreme
Court at the request of six anonymous birth mothers opposing it,
expired on May 30th at 5 p.m. Oregon became the fourth state in
the US to open adoption records and the first to do it through the
voters. 2
2001 - ALBANY, NEW YORK,
USA
Biological parents, along with adoptees, could access previously
sealed adoption records for medical purposes in May.
2
2001 - ONTARIO, CANADA Bill 77 (Adoption Disclosure Statute Law Amendment
Act) has been tabled. 2
(...)
2009 - ONTARIO, CANADA Effective June 1, 2009, Ontario adoption records will be opened. Adopted adults and birth parents will be given access to identifying information from birth records and adoption orders.
As of September 1, 2008, adopted adults and birth parents can also file disclosure vetoes...
