The Shift to Open Adoption in Ontario (1927-2009)
| Year | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Closed Adoption System Introduced | Ontario begins sealing original birth records upon adoption. Adoptees lose legal access to their birth identities. |
| 1940s–1970s | Widespread Coercion of Single Mothers | Unmarried women are pressured by social workers, CASs and institutions to relinquish children for adoption. |
| 1970s | Adoption Reunion Movement Emerges | Adult adoptees and first mothers begin publicly speaking about the emotional toll of closed adoptions and seek change. |
| 1987 | Adoption Disclosure Register (ADR) Created | Ontario introduces a voluntary registry where adoptees and first family members can seek reunion if both parties register. |
| 1990s | Non-Identifying Info Becomes Available | Adoptees and first relatives gain the right to request social and medical history (without names) from adoption files. |
| 2009 | Access to Adoption Records Act Takes Effect | Adoptees (18+) and birth parents (if the adoptee is 19+) can now access original names and birth registrations. Options for privacy preferences introduced. |
From 1927 to 2009, Ontario operated under a closed adoption system. In this model, the child’s original Statement of Live Birth was sealed permanently when a first parent placed them for adoption. This document included their birth name and details of their first family. By law, this information was withheld from the adoptee for life.
Upon adoption, a new birth certificate was issued. This substituted the names of the first parents with those of the adoptive parents, effectively erasing the child’s original identity in official records. Once finalized, the adoption could not be reversed by the first parents, nor could they access the child’s new identity. Adoptees, in turn were legally barred from accessing their own original birth information.
Closed vs. Open Adoption Records in Ontario
| Closed Adoption (1927–2009) | Modern Access (Post-2009) | |
|---|---|---|
| Original Birth Info | Sealed permanently | Available to adoptee (18+) and birth parent (19+) |
| Birth Certificate | Replaced with amended version | Both versions can now be requested |
| First Parent Rights | No access to child’s new info | May request child’s post-adoption name |
| Adoptee Rights | No access to original identity | May request original name and parent(s)’ names |
| Search Support | Rare or discouraged | Supported via ADR and other channels |
| Contact Options | No legal route for contact | Contact preferences and privacy options now available |
A Legacy of Secrecy and Coercion
During the mid-20th century, many unmarried pregnant women were pressured by societal norms and government policies to relinquish their children. CASs and other institutions often portrayed single motherhood as shameful or immoral. With little financial or social support, many women surrendered babies they desperately wanted to keep.
Research now shows that these women—often referred to as first mothers—frequently lived with long-term grief and a deep, hidden longing for reunion.
The Rise of the Adoption Reunion Movement
By the 1970s, adult adoptees began to speak out about the emotional consequences of this enforced secrecy. Many expressed a deep need to reconnect with their origins and first families. Their efforts helped ignite the adoption reunion movement, which advocated for transparency, healing and the right to identity.
In 1987, the Ontario government responded by creating the Adoption Disclosure Register (ADR). This voluntary registry allowed adult adoptees and first relatives to submit their names in hopes of a mutual match. Around the same time, adoptees and first parents also gained the right to request non-identifying background information from the coordinating agency—often a Children’s Aid Society (CAS)—that handled the adoption.
From Silence to Support
In the late 20th century, adoptees and first relatives began forming peer-led adoption support and reunion groups. These grassroots communities provided practical help with search efforts and emotional support through the complex process of reunion.
Over time, even mental health professionals began to recognize that adoption—especially within a closed system—can lead to lifelong emotional challenges for adoptees, first parents and adoptive families alike.
Global Trends in Adoption Reform
Since the late 1990s, many countries around the world have taken important steps to recognize the rights of adoptees and their first families.
In Canada, nearly all provinces and territories have introduced legislation. This allows adult adoptees and first parents to access identifying information about family members separated by adoption.
Internationally, several countries have followed suit and opened their adoption records or created systems that acknowledge an adoptee’s fundamental right to identity and connection.
These changes reflect a growing global understanding: access to one’s origins is not only important—but essential—for healing, identity and human dignity.
Global Adoption Record Reform
| Country | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Most provinces open | Most provinces and territories now allow adult adoptees and first parents to access identifying information. |
| United Kingdom | Open since 1975 | Adoptees can access their original birth certificates at age 18. Support services are available for search and reunion. |
| Israel | Partially open | Adoptees can access identifying info at 18; restrictions remain around birth mother privacy. |
| Netherlands | Open access | Adoptees can access birth records and government-supported search services. |
| Finland | Open access | Birth and adoption records are available to adoptees under privacy law reform. |
| New Zealand | Open since 1985 | Adult adoptees can access their original birth info; birth parents can also request info. |
| Australia | State-dependent | States like Victoria and New South Wales offer open records; others vary in access and support services. |
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