If you were involved in an adoption in Ontario, ServiceOntario can help you find your adoption information. It's free.

How do I know if my adoption was registered in Ontario?

If you were born in Ontario, or if your adoptive parents lived in Ontario when you were adopted, your adoption order may have been registered in Ontario.

If you are not sure simply apply for your post-adoption birth information:

• If your adoption was registered in Ontario, we will send you a copy of your identifying information
• If your adoption order was not filed in Ontario, you will receive a letter indicating that there is no record of your adoption registered in Ontario.

To learn more, visit ServiceOntario or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408

I’m an adopted adult. What's the difference between applying for an adoption order and applying for post-adoption birth information?

Post-adoption birth information provides you with:

• your adoption order, including your identifying information
• a copy of your original birth registration, if you were born in Ontario.   

If you are hoping to find your original name and the names of your birth parents — apply for post-adoption birth information.

The adoption order service provides you with:

• your adoption order with information that might identify your birth parents removed.  

When would I need an adoption order?

You may need a copy of your adoption order to get an official document, like a passport, or for adoptive parents, to prove that you are the parent of an adopted child.

If you applied for post-adoption birth information and were told that there is a disclosure veto on the file, you can apply to get a copy of your adoption order with the identifying information removed.

You can also apply for a copy of your adoption order if you simply don't want to know the name(s) of your birth parent(s).

Only adopted adults and adoptive parents can apply for an adoption order.

To learn more, visit ServiceOntario or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408

What’s the difference between identifying information and non-identifying information? How do I get non-identifying information?

Adoption records can contain a wide variety of information. Some of the information identifies the birth parents / adopted individual, but some of it does not. Ontarians have always been able to access non-identifying information from their adoption records — only the birth registrations and adoption orders were sealed.

Identifying information may include the:

• adopted person's birth name and adoptive name
• names of the birth parents
• names of the adoptive parents
• hospital where the baby was born.

We call this post-adoption birth information, and adopted adults and birth parents can apply for it through ServiceOntario.

Non-identifying information may include the:

• date of the adoption
• name of the agency that handled the adoption
• care the adoptee received prior to being to placed with an adoptive family
• the birth family’s social or medical history.

You can get it through the Children's Aid Society that managed the adoption, or through ServiceOntario if the adoption was managed privately.

Only birth parents and adopted adults can request identifying information. But many others can request non-identifying information, including:

• adopted adults
• adopted children with the adoptive parent's consent
• descendants of deceased adopted adults
• adoptive parents
• birth parents
• other birth relatives, such as birth grandparents, birth siblings, or adult siblings of birth parents.

In this case we will simply remove any identifying information and send you the rest.

To learn more, visit ServiceOntario or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408

I am a birth parent or an adopted adult. What if I don't want my adoption records released?

If you want the identifying information to remain confidential, and if the adoption was finalized before September 1, 2008, you can file a disclosure veto. This will prevent the release of identifying information.

However, if you file a disclosure veto after June 1, 2009 it is possible that information may have been released before your veto was filed.

If you will allow the information to be released, but want to control how you are contacted, you can file a no contact notice or a notice of contact preference.

To learn more, visit ServiceOntario or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408

What's the difference between a disclosure veto, no contact notice and notice of contact preference?

• A disclosure veto prevents your identifying information from being released. Birth parents and adopted adults can apply for a disclosure veto if the adoption was registered before September 1, 2008.
  
  If you apply for a disclosure veto, you may provide:
  
  • A brief statement explaining why you submitted the veto
  • Information about your family and medical history.
  However, this is optional and completely voluntary.
  
• A no contact notice lets us release your identifying information but tells the other party you don’t want to be contacted. If the other party violates the notice by trying to contact you, he or she could be fined up to $50,000.
  
• A notice of contact preference lets us release your identifying information and tells the other party how you want to be contacted. Unlike no contact notices, notices of contact preference are not binding. This means that the adopted person or birth parent is not legally required to contact you the way you requested.

All three apply to birth parents and adopted adults.

To learn more, visit ServiceOntario or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408

How can I get my family's medical history?

1. Start by applying for your non-identifying information. Some of your family medical history may be included with your adoption records.
2. If you are an adopted adult or birth parent, you may apply for your post-adoption birth information and contact your birth relatives directly.
3. Even if there is a disclosure veto or no contact notice on the file, your relative may have provided some family medical history.

To learn more, visit ServiceOntario or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408

A member of my family has a severe medical problem. How do I get/share family medical information?

If you were adopted, are the descendent of an adopted person, or are a birth relative of an adopted person and you have a severe mental or physical illness, you may be eligible for a severe medical search. You can also apply if you are an adoptive parent and your adopted child is under 18.

A severe medical search is conducted when it is likely to significantly increase the likelihood of diagnosing or treating a severe mental or physical illness. We will try to locate and contact an adopted adult or a birth family member to get any information that will help. An example would be if an adopted person needs information from a birth relative to help with an organ transplant. Please note that medical information would be provided by the person contacted on a voluntary basis.

To learn more, visit ServiceOntario or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408

Now that I know their names, can you help me find my birth relatives?

While new legislation helps people find their birth information, it does not help them locate their family. People who want to get in touch with their birth relatives can add their name to Ontario’s voluntary Adoption Disclosure Register.

Adopted adults, birth parents, birth grandparents and adult birth siblings can apply to get their name and contact information on the Register. If the person they are looking for is also on the Register, the contact information will be shared with both parties. A match can only be made if both parties have applied to have their name listed on the Register.

Adopted adults and birth parents can also submit a notice of contact preference on their file to tell their birth relatives how to find them.

If your name is on the Register and your contact information has changed, please let us know. It is your responsibility to keep your contact information current. You can also remove your name from the Register at any time.

To learn more, visit ServiceOntario or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408

Can I do an online search for my adoption information?

No. Adoption records are personal and confidential. This means ServiceOntario must verify your identity before we can release any information to you. You can download application forms and guidelines from ServiceOntario's website or call:

Tel: 416-325-8305
Toll free: 1-800-461-2156
TTY: 416-325-3408