Democracy Now: TRC findings

aired June 3, 2015

Manitoba opening adoption records in 2015

Manitoba Adoptees - finally good news

http://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/childfam/adoption_search.html

Open Birth and Adoption Records
The Manitoba government is moving ahead with proposed legislation that will open birth and adoption records.

What Changes when the Legislation Passes?
The amendments to The Adoption Act and The Vital Statistics Act allow for more openness with respect to birth records and adoption records, subject to certain privacy rights. The amendments will give registered birth parents and adult adoptees access to pre-adoption birth registrations, as well as substituted registrations of birth.
The amendments will take effect one year after the legislation is passed, likely in June 2015. This will allow time for people to understand the changes and, most importantly, to file disclosure vetoes if they wish to keep their information private.

Who do these amendments affect?
An adult adoptee born in Manitoba and adopted in Manitoba
An adult adoptee born in Manitoba and adopted outside Manitoba
An adult adoptee born outside Manitoba and adopted in Manitoba
A registered birth parent who is named on the pre-adoption birth registration and whose adult child was born in Manitoba and adopted in Manitoba
A registered birth parent who is named on the pre-adoption birth registration and whose adult child was born in Manitoba and placed for adoption outside Manitoba

Fee
There is no fee to access birth or adoption records.

Contact Manitoba Post Adoption Services

If you have any questions, please email or call the Manitoba Post-Adoption Registry at:

Manitoba Post-Adoption Registry
2nd Floor – 777 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg MB R3G 0N3
Email: cfsd@gov.mb.ca
Phone: 204-945-6964
1-800-855-0511 for the Manitoba Relay Service