Ontario Adoption Records
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Accessing Adoption Records in Ontario
In 2008, Ontario opened adoption records to allow adoptees and birth parents access to personal and family information. The province keeps records for all adopted children born in Ontario, even if the adoption was handled elsewhere.
While Ontario adoption records are open, the steps you need to complete to access the information you want can be overwhelming. Lengthy processing times may delay your search, and some information isn’t available to biological siblings, grandparents, or other relatives.
If you’re having trouble getting adoption records in Ontario, Adopted.com is here to help. Our voluntary reunion registry allows anyone impacted by an adoption to register and search for their family members. Reunions happen through mutual consent, whether you have official records or not.
To begin your search, you just need to fill out a simple form with ten questions you likely know about your adoption. If there’s a potential match on the platform, you’ll be notified right away.
We have the largest voluntary adoption registry in the world, with people searching for family members in Toronto, Ottawa, and across the entire province. Register today to take the first step toward a potential reunion.
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10,989 Are Adoption Records Public in Ontario?
Yes, Ontario passed a law in 2008 to open adoption records, including birth registrations and adoption orders. Under this law, adoptees and birth parents can access information from sealed adoption records. The information includes an adoptee’s original name and their birth parents’ names. Birth parents can learn the name the child was given after the adoption.
By request, the Ontario government will release this information, as long as the adoptee or birth parent has not filed a disclosure veto to protect their privacy.
How to Find Adoption Records in Ontario
There are different steps to find adoption records in Ontario, depending on your involvement in the adoption and the information you want to access. You can request both identifying and non-identifying information through ServiceOntario.
Non-identifying information refers to details that don’t reveal the names or contact information of anyone involved in the adoption. This information can include the adoption date, the adoption agency, and the birth family’s medical history.
You can request non-identifying information in Ontario if you’re:
- An adoptee who’s at least 18 years old
- An adoptee under 18 with your adoptive parent’s consent
- An adoptive parent
- A biological parent, grandparent, or sibling of the adoptee
- A child of a deceased adoptee
- A birth parent’s sibling
You may also have access to identifying information from an original birth registration or an adoption order. This information can show you the identities of people involved in the adoption. It may include the adoptee’s name at birth or after adoption, the birth parents’ names, and the adoptive parents’ names.
You may be able to access this information if you’re:
- An adoptee who’s at least 18 years old
- A birth parent if the adoptee is at least 19 years old
There’s no fee to access adoption records in Ontario. You just need to complete the correct form and mail it to the address listed. You can’t fax, email, or deliver an application in person.
How Can I Find a Biological Parent in Ontario?
If you’re an adoptee, you can find your biological parents’ names by requesting post-adoption information through ServiceOntario. However, if one or both of your birth parents have asked to keep their identities private, you will not receive this information.
Birth parents can also agree to release information but ask not to be contacted. If your biological parent has completed a no-contact notice and you attempt to contact them anyway, you can be fined up to $50,000.
How Can I Find Someone Who Was Adopted in Ontario?
You can only request an adoptee’s identifying information if you’re the biological parent. The adoptee must also be at least 19 years old before you can search for them. This rule gives an adoptee one year after they turn 18 to file their privacy and contact preferences.
Just like birth parents, an adoptee has the right to keep their identity private or ask not to be contacted by their biological family. If the adoptee has a no-contact notice on file and you contact them anyway, you can be fined up to $50,000.
Other biological relatives, including grandparents and siblings, can’t access identifying information from adoption records, but they can join the Adoption Disclosure Register. If you register, you’ll be notified if or when a match occurs.
Let Adopted.com help you find your lost family today!
Adopted.com is a powerful adoption reunion registry designed to help you reconnect with your birth parents. By registering, you gain access to a growing database of over 1,204,961 profiles, increasing your chances of finding your biological relatives. The platform respects your privacy and allows you to update your profile anytime.
Registration is free, and the unique search tool ensures measurable match results. When you find your birth parents, remember to approach the reunion with an open heart and understanding, as it can be an emotionally significant experience for everyone involved.
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A Few of Our Members Currently Searching Within Ontario Who Chose To Be Featured
2251. CMH1504 : I was born at York Central Hospital (now known as Mack Health) in Richmond Hill, Ontario on September 20th, 1980. My birth mother was 20-21yrs, my birth father was 25yrs and part Métis. My given name at birth was Rebecca.
2252. Dutches1971 : I was adopted through the children’s aid Society in Toronto . I was told that I was originally placed in a foster home until my adoption.
2253. Raine1976 : Looking for my biological sister. Our mothers maiden name is Wright and she was 17 when she delivered. This was a closed adoption. My sister was given a name that she was to keep.
2254. IsabellaChevrette : St. Joseph’s Health Centre Rachel Leblanc Zachary Michael Leblanc Michael Jelly Sudbury, Ontario Thunder Bay, Ontario
2255. Seanminion : Born baby Lee in Ottawa at the Grace Hospital December 4 1973
2256. JackieMerrylees1 : I was born April 10th 1974 at st Joseph’s hospital in london ontario as Francis. My non identifying info states my birth mother is of hungarian german background, had an older brother and younger sister.
2257. Laurie1234 : Hello I’m searching for my son Jordan Cleveland Asselstine born April 2 1996 in Toronto....Jordan has 4 brothers and 3 sisters ...
2258. PennyLouise1962 : Hi, I am seeking information on my half brother. My mother (Delia May McFarlane) was sent from Saskatchewan to a home for unwed mothers in Wiarton Ontario to give birth. My mother has since passed away and we do not have much info. We know she gave birth to a boy in 1948-1949 and he was given up for adoption.
2259. Freezing2019 : Brantford Ontario was where he was given up Last name Sanderson
2260. DebPorter : Born in Toronto (west end) hospital. Birth mother Gladys Lickers Hill and birth father Arnold David Hill
2261. Michelineviau : Born in Scarborough Ontario, birth mother Ginette Viau, birth name Micheline Marie Viau, birth father was an American citizen apparently dodging the Vietnam draft he was approximately 21 years old, and described as a drifter. ONLY looking for birth father birth mother has been found. Need medical information for my children who have medical issues.
2262. JoanD123 : Born in Scarborough general hospital
2263. Dianesevigny : A friend ask me to search for any information. Birth mom died shortly after giving birth. birth dad signed over his rights to his child a son. Birth dad might have moved out west. he was adopted out of Toronto Ontario. His was born at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario. was given the name Peter no last name. adopted name James Arthur Vowles Adopted parents Arthur James Vowles and Louisa Constance Thank you All Diane
2264. MKCG1979 : Birth took place in Toronto, likely TOronto General Hospital in the Fall of 1968. Birth Mother’s name Linda Louise Niemi. We believe adoption took place very soon after that. Doctor’s name thought to be Gillies. Birth Mother died in 2005, but Birth Maternal family (including grandmother, uncle, aunt and cousins) are looking to find the adoptee. We know that the adoptee did register to disclose her information, but my grandmother has long since moved addresses and did not update her information on the registry.
2265. JanEllen1 : Uxbridge Oshawa
