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 1,204,958 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
4726. MissShelby : My name is Shelby Urquhart‚ and when I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy in November of 2021. He was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton Ontario‚ Canada. Officially named Carter Benjamin Urquhart‚ his selected adoptive parents (Neil and Erin‚) changed his name to Clarke‚ but kept Carter Benjamin as his middle names. The private adoption agency I used was called New Beginnings and my case worker’s name was Bonnie. At the time of this entry‚ (2023‚) they reside in Ottawa‚ Ontario Canada.
4727. Cissearching : Looking for my mother’s birth family. Name at birth was Kimberly.
4728. Montgomery999 : Born in Ottawa. I was adopted about 2.5 years after birth. My birth name was Brenda. i would like to find my birth parents and any possible siblings
4729. Montgomery999 : I am looking for any possible siblings. I was born in Ottawa in 1964 and adopted a few years later
4730. JohanneGPlant : Hi this is my husband ‚ we would like to know more about is roots ‚ Gregory Plant ‚ birth certificate was in York Toronto 1961‚ father last name was Plant that is all we have thanks Johanne Gagnon
4731. ColleenApril884 : Simcoe Ontario Norfolk general hospital is where the birth took place I believe she was adopted out of Brantford ont Her birth date June 26 1986
4732. Kristapack : Sibling was born in Peterborough Ontario and adopted from Children AIDS society in Belleville Ontario. I believe in the paperwork that the first home was in Belleville Ontario Mothers name was Claire
4733. HarleyQuinn1966 : I was adopted in 1974. I know my birth mothers name was Emily Ralph‚ she has passed away some time ago‚ However the parent i am searching for would be my birth father who is Patrick Donovan. He had already had 2 daughters when he met my mother their names were Patty and Mickey as i remember them‚ I assume that is short for Patricia and Michelle. I was born in East York Hospital in Toronto Ont. Was adopted by my maternal aunt and uncle in december of 1974.
4734. Maxineelaine : St Joseph’s Hospital Chatham Ontario Birth mother was approximately 16 years of age Unwed Birth mother may have worked at the hospital for 9 months to pay her hospital bills prior to the adoption On the adoption papers the birth mother name listed as Helene Graham This name could be an alias
4735. Ditchburn : We have several siblings who all share the same birth mother. We were adopted in groups.
4736. JulianneRobinson : My biological mom is from Nova Scotia. She came to Brampton‚ Ontario to stay with her sister to carry out the pregnancy. She was the youngest of 4 siblings. My biological birth name is Mary McInnis. My bio mom indicated she was raped at a party in Nova Scotia and has no knowledge of the bio father. After my birth‚ my biological mom returned to Nova Scotia.
4737. Cayiana : The mother’s last name was Servant and she passed away not long after giving birth. She was around 17-18 when the baby was born.
4738. Paulmorse : Birthname is Christine Isobel Meggitt. Born in Henderson Hospital‚ Hamilton‚ Ontario.
4739. Shake06 : Born at The Riverside Hospital in Ottawa‚ Ontario. My birth mother gave me a name which I am confident she will remember. I know she had two more children years after I was born at the same hospital.
4740. Bjeanmcf61 : I was born in Hamilton‚ Ontario‚ Canada on March 21‚ 1955. My mother was said to have conceived me while travelling through the Welland Canal Lock system with my father‚ who I was told was a Chief Engineer on the ship. I was told that she never informed him of the pregnancy. I was told that my mother was the oldest of 7 children in her family. I was placed in foster care as she was unable to financially care for me. Once she got a job‚ her father passed and social services deemed that the family was still not in a financial position to have another child in the house. I had a male cousin and an uncle with Muscular Dystrophy.
