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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10,986 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 1,205,526 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.
Register NowRECENT MEMBERS IN Ontario
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Nymwen123
11 hours ago
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A Few of Our Members Currently Searching Within Ontario Who Chose To Be Featured
4621. Debbiewilson : my mothers name is mary ann powers/ siddall my father is frank aaron kelly‚ my mother was married before and i have an older sister 10 yrs older then me.would love to find all of them. thanks Debbie wilson this is my name now
4622. Pamjenn01 : I was adopted July 1970 birth mother last name is Nuxoll ‚ she named me Charlene Ann Nuxoll
4623. Jsseeley : My brother was born in orangeville‚ Ontario. According to birth records he was of irish descent. Mother was a single teen and family couldn’t afford to raise him
4624. Bbbevy : My birth parents names are...mothers maiden name was Gladys Brant‚ married name is Gladys Zachairah‚ Fathers name is Watier Zachairach. They Lived at 211 Coleman‚ in Belleville ON in the 1960’s‚ both parents were born in Prince Edward County‚ ON 4 siblings were born before me.
4625. CW1319 : Looking for my biological sister who was born March 13‚ 1969 in Ottawa. Her given name at birth was Kathy.
4626. Graciana_heughan : My birth mom is Lisa heughan and I have no idea who my dad is
4627. Lorilee73 : You were north York general hospital adoption was through catholic children’s aid I know that biological mothers last name was desjarlais but may have changed it when married my father I was told they were married
4628. CSinfield : Rideau hospital‚ Smiths Falls‚Ontario
4629. Teacup479 : Hello‚ my name is Val. I am looking for my birth family. My grandma was adopted in she was a child. She was adopted on March 16‚ 1953. She was born in Thunder Bay and I have heard her mom’s side lives in Sudbury. I want to try to find her father’s side of the family as well. She was born on July 22‚ 1947. Her name is Darlene (Barbara).
4630. JuliaM75 : I’m looking for my dad’s biological family. He was born March 8 1948 in York county‚ Toronto Ontario.I believe he spent time in an orphanage before being adopted by Alfred and Dorothy Mole of the Dunsford Ontario area.
4631. Bradley1234 : Looking for a brother that was born early 50s don’t know much mothers name Barbara Fleming . Name the baby Dennis after her brother . Just looking to connect. I don’t know his real birth date . I put in a date to be able to look . Been looking for him or his family for yrs as soon as I found out my mother had a child . And was forced to give Dennis up .
4632. Catincanada : The adoption records give birth mother’s maiden name as Frahley or Fraley (not in my hands as I type this they are in safe deposit). She was approximately 19 at the time. Birth took place in Toronto. She was of Irish descent and gave birth father’s racial descent as Danish but name not in my records. Possibly I was born in Toronto General hospital. I was adopted through a Catholic agency I think. I have reason to believe my birth mother may have been seeking to contact me at some point after I reached age of majority (18) possibly in the 1990s but I am not certain of this however.
4633. Mistwoman : Born in Toronto in a west end hospital.
4634. Wireland99 : The story I have been told is that I was born to a young mom (possibly 16 ish?) whose parents were in the military. I was adopted within 10 days of being born by a family with the last name Ireland (in Ottawa). I believe the name my birth family gave me was Brenda Lee.
4635. Magalmar : Born Marc on August 10 1971. Born in Orillia Ontario. Adopted by a couple in Woodstock Ontario.
