An Adoption Glossary

Identifying Information

Identifying information is just what it sounds like. It can include names, addresses & phone numbers, employment or military history. Upon applying for release of information you will receive all the documents in the adoption record that you are permitted to see under disclosure. You should receive copies of the surrender, social worker's reports from interviews with the birth parents or home studies once the child was placed, etc. As an adoptee you have the right to also have a certified copy of the adoption order (this may come separately, from the Queen's Bench, at a later date.)

Do not be surprised that some of the documents have been censored: information that identifies anyone besides the adoptee and birth parents (i.e the adoptive parents, birth parents' relatives, etc.) is not released.

Depending on when the adoption occurred, the quality and quantity of the information (identifying or non-identying) you receive will vary. In some cases information about a birth father may not be as complete as that of the birth mother, or the father may be recorded as unknown.

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Non-Identifying Information

Non-identifying information given to an adoptee includes things such as physical descriptions of birth parents - their age, height & weight, eye colour, hair colour - citizenship and racial origin, personality and interests, and occupation. Siblings (the adoptee's aunts and uncles) and parents (adoptee's grandparents) will be mentioned by age, sex and occupation. A brief medical history may be included.

Non-identifying information is not enough to find a birth parent or adoptee, but it may offer clues that will help you find them once you have a name from the identifying information. If your adoptive parents were given non-identifying information ("History of the Adoptive Child") or if you received it through registry at PAR hang onto it preciously! Search agencies in Alberta no longer have the right to look at your adoption file on your behalf, but they do say that in past they found a lot of clues in this type of information. You'll put it to good use in your search.

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Passive Registry

A passive registry is one which requires both parties to register before reunion is possible. Most provincial Post Adoption Registries (PAR) are passive.

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Post Adoption Registry (PAR)

A registry set up in the province the adoption took place, which allows adoptees and birth families to search for one another. In general, adoptees must wait till they reach the age of majority to register and birth families must wait six months beyond that time.

Post Adoption Registries are mostly passive, although some Canadian provinces do active searches now. These registries also handle requests for identifying and non-identifying information, adoption orders, and urgent medical requests. If a match is made they may facilitate communication between the persons involved, and may offer counselling if desired.

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Veto

Provincial registries that disclose identifying information may give birth parents and adoptees the option of filing a veto. This prevents release of any informatin such as name, birth date or address, that might identify them or allow them to be found.

A veto can be revoked at a later date. If one is files, there may be the option of updating the family medical history and leaving a letter on file in case the other person is searching.

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