Alberta Adoption Records

Alberta has open records for natural parents and adoptees.

1. Post Adoption Disclosure

Records can be obtained from the Alberta Government. Information on the page at:
https://www.alberta.ca/adoption-records.aspx

For adoptions granted PRIOR to January 1, 2005, birth parents and adult adoptees (18 years of age and older) may obtain identifying information about one another through the submission of a Request for Release of Adoption Information form. Individuals who wish their identifying information to remain confidential must file a Disclosure Veto form with Alberta’s Post Adoption Registry. This veto will prevent the release of identifying information on the birth registration or adoption information; however, non-identifying information is still released to the other party upon request.

For adoptions granted AFTER January 1, 2005, birth parents and adoptees can no longer file a disclosure veto. You may file a Contact Preference form. Identifying information about the adult adoptee and the biological parent will be released to these parties when the adoptee turns 18 years of age or older upon submission of a Request for Release of Adoption Information form.

Must be 18 yrs or over to search.

2.  Obtain your Hospital Records

Mothers can call the Medical Records department of the hospital in which the birth took place to obtain your hospital chart with respect to prenatal care, labour and delivery, post natal care, hospital stay, etc.  Mothers should also apply for their child’s hospital record.  (Hint:  Do not use the word “adopted” if possible,  and if asked why records are required the answer is “for my personal record”).

3.  Maternity Home Records

Mothers who resided in Maternity Homes may apply to the organization which ran the home for any records which may have survived:

For Salvation Army Homes contact:

Salvation Army Archives
26 Howden Road, Scarborough, Ontario

Once you have obtained the names of your natural parents or the child you were separated from by adoption, some useful tools for your search include:

  • Searching for names using Google or Facebook
  • Looking in online phone directories including Canada-411.
  • Your original birth record indicates where your natural mother and father were born. You can use the phone directory for that city to contact them or other family members to find out where they might currently be living.
  • Henderson Directories (“City Directories”) for the city you were born in, or in which your natural parent was born, can also provide relevant older information on names, addresses, and occupations dating back to 1905. Many cities across Canada had these directories in addition to phone-books. Check local libraries and online sources (e.g., University of Alberta) for copies.

More Information: