Adoption in Canada
...difficulty of adoptions and reunions. Adoptees have a right to obtain information about their birth parents. This right is protected on a limited basis by the Freedom of Information Act. Once the Freedom of Information office has been contacted the adoptee will be given minimal information about their birth parents in what is called the Adoption Order. In most cases the standard information that is given contains, first and last name, place and time of birth as well as birth weight and medical condition. At this point, with a No Contact Declaration in place, the adoptee must stop their pursuit to locate their birth parents. In the Adoption Act, section 66, if this declaration is ignored the adoptee could face criminal charges with a maximum penalty of $10,000 and/or two years of incarceration. Many adoptees live their lives with unanswered questions and confusion regarding their family history. Being able to make contact with birth parents can be crucial in the case of a medical emergency. For example, hereditary illness and diseases such as alcoholism could be prevented if certain dispositions were known. If a situation arises where bone marrow needs to be transplanted a match would be nearly impossible to find. Strict medical records should be available to adoptees; as well exceptions should be made if a rare life or death situation were to occur. Currently, there are no medical records with such specificity accessible to an adoptee. Most adopted children become curious about their real parents in their late teens. It becomes clear at that point in their lives that th...