December 2009

Unfortunately there has been no public announcement of any change to the Adoption Act. I have been reassured many times that change is coming, and soon, but when? It is very discouraging for adoptees to have some stranger have access to all their personal information, yet they are being denied this information. We certainly do have two-tiered and discriminatory practices within the Family Services. Other provinces have forged ahead and opened their adoption law to make it retroactive to include all persons adopted, not just those who were adopted after March 15, 1999. It has been 10 years since we were first assured changes would be made. What takes so long, or is there no will to make changes? We are told that we must consider those who do not want their files opened, so in the meantime the 95% or more who do want their information are made to wait while the feelings of the minority are being carefully considered. In a democracy the majority is supposed to rule, so why are we allowing the minority to deny us our information. Politicians are elected by majority votes, so why do they not accept the wishes of the majority when making or changing laws.

After holding many public meetings during the fall of 1997, it was concluded that open adoption laws were what people wanted. The new Adoption Act was written with open adoption laws for the future but not the the thousands of adoptees adopted prior to March 1999. It was the minority who opposed openness that ruled the decision.

Hopefully the government will do the right thing, and soon, and put this very important issue to rest by recognizing that adoptees and birthfamily members are not second-class citizens, but deserve equal consideration and given their personal information, information that is readily available to all other citizens, WHO THEY ARE.