How do I open adoption records - U.S. born to a Canadian mother ??? adopted in Canada?

Question

I was born with dual citizenship, to a Canadian mother in Long Island, NY and after my parents divorced, my mother returned to Canada. When she could not support us, she gave us to the Canadian Children's Aid group in Ottawa and we were adopted out in the late 1950's.

Since my birth was dual-citizen, and I was adopted out in Canada, but born in NY, and now I'm simply a U.S. Citizen ... how do I get my records open as they cross country lines. I'm not sure how to start, or who to contact to request that my records be open.

By now my mother is probably deceased, but I have siblings whom I would really like to meet.

Answer 1

I would start by applying for your non identifying info from the adoption agency that handled it.

There are many good sites on the web that offer free places to post your information in the hopes that someone will see it that will know where your birth family is.  www.adoption.org  is 1 such site the at I know about.

There are also plenty of adoption sites & agencys that for a fee will do all the leg work for you.

Personally I think those sites / places are useless. Only because I find that there are enough free ways to do it yourself.

Best of luck to you in your search

Answer 2

Have you already requested a copy of your birth certificate from New York?  The record may not have been sealed b/c the adoption happened in another country.  If you haven't tried, it's worth a shot.

Do you know your birth name? Do you know the name of the hospital you were born in? If so, contact the hospital and request a copy of any records they have regarding your birth. It's highly unlikely that the hospital has any record of your adoption.  If they don't have any records, you still may be able to find information about the children born in the hospital on the day your were born there.  

For a copy of your birth certificate:

http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_reco...

You can order a copy via internet @:

http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_reco...

If your original birth certificate is unavailable, New York has a reunion registry.  See the following link:

http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_reco...

If you want to register, you must submit an application. The application must be signed and notarized.

To request an application, write to:

Adoption Information Registry

New York State Department of Health

P.O. Box 2602

Albany, NY 12220-2602

Or you can download the form form here:

http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_reco...

Contact the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa to request your non-identifying & medical information.  Fill out any necessary forms to authorize the release of your information & sign up for their reunion registry.  

In Canada, "the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa prepares individuals who have been matched for a reunion and referred by the Adoption Disclosure Registry maintained by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

You will need to complete a application form which can be obtained by calling [phone] ext. 2720."

http://www.casott.on.ca/html/adoption/ad...

Also, register with the International Soundex Reunion Registry @ http://www.isrr.net/

And the following registries....

http://registry.adoption.com/

http://almasociety.org/

http://www.nyadoption.org/

Good luck!  

Contact me via e-mail if you need more help.

ETA: Your ORIGINAL birth certificate would have been issued by the state of New York.  Was an amended BC issued by Ottawa or NY?  

A local library may also have the a record of birth announcements that would have been listed in the newspaper for the day of your birth with your name & your parents names, usually on microfiche. A search angel in the area may be able to help you. The library may have online access.  You may be able to call a local library for information.

As a former foster child, I was able to get a copy of my court records while in foster care.  These records provided me with my birth mother & father's names, along with other relatives.

Did you begin school in Long Island, NY? Maybe kindergarten or even a head start/preschool program?  You might try to get a copy of your school records.  

Does the hospital have a web site? Perhaps a history page? Human resource department? Someone who's worked at the hospital for ?? years?  Just throwing out some ideas.

Write down all the information you HAVE & begin with that. Fill in the blanks.  Keep a search binder with copies of every record you have, each request you send, response you receive & a log of calls made, etc.  This helps serve as a map to your next step as well as avoiding a duplication of efforts.

Please e-mail me! I'll be happy to help...

Answer 3

http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_reco...

This is a link for the New York Adoption Information Registry, they will have your Original Birth Certificate because you were born there.  The person in control of NY Adoption records, and who can or cannot see them is named Peter Carucci

Unfortunately NY still has closed records.  They do have a mutual consent reunion registry but it is flawed.

Folks like the NCFA say that this is the only way that we should be reunited, instead of having equal access to our records!  What a crock.  Most people don't even qualify to register with these registries because to register you have to be born AND adopted within the same state, which rarely happens!

I would contact them in any event for information, if only to let them know there ARE adoptees out there who want their information and can't get it.  If we stop bothering to ask, they think we aren't interested, when in fact there are millions of us searching!

ETA  If you know the name of your mother, try applying for your original birth certificate from Albany.

Answer 4

you cant open adoption records once the new parent is legal the records are sealed. this means that they are not able to be accessed by anyone.  including the birth parents and the adopted parents.  you will have to ask people who knew your birth parentsh

Answer 5

It is my understanding, and I could be wrong that you should contact the area that finalized your adoption, which sounds like it would be Ottawa.

However, I have a friend, who was adopted in canada, and once her adoption was finalized in Canada they contacted the state that she had been born in ( she was US born ) and the state sealed her records once they knew she was adopted.

So that worked against her because that state still denies adoptees the rights to open their records upon the age of majority, as does NY.

What I would do is call NY and see if they have evidence of your birth WITHOUT mentioning your adoption. Don't mention you were adopted AT ALL, and see if they will send you your paperwork. Because if they find out you're adopted, they won't send you the information.

So it looks like Ottawa is part of Ontario which just had its open records bill denied and rejected so they don't offer you open records EITHER. I would get involved in the legislation to help appeal this if you can do that while on the road.

and heres an update on Ontarios battle for open records:

http://adopteerightsnews.blogspot.com/20...

And contact these people for non identinfying information and more infromation on how to work twords getting your identifying information in Canada;

Custodian of Adoption Information

P.O.  Box 654

77 Wellesley St. West

Toronto, ON

and I couldn't find a phone number as i'm sure a trucker needs a phone more than an address so I found the registar, and i would call them and ask how to get your OBC and try not to mention your adoption to see what happens. They'll probably pick up on it but either way you'll get the right direction through these people....HOPEFULLY

Office of the Registrar General

P.O. Box 4600

189 Red River Road, 3rd Floor

Thunder Bay ON P7B 6L8

In Toronto 416-325-8305

Toll-free Outside Toronto 1-800-461-2156

Fax: [phone]

Answer 6

You can contact CAS Ottawa:

The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa provides adoption disclosure services to approximately 400 individuals per year. This includes the provision of non-identifying information to adult adoptees, birth relatives and former crown wards. As well, the Society prepares individuals who have been matched for a reunion and referred by the Adoption Disclosure Registry maintained by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

If you were adopted through the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa or were a former Crown Ward, and you would like to obtain information you will need to complete a application form which can be obtained by calling [phone] ext. 2720.