Newfoundland and Labrador Adoption Records
The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador has open records for natural parents and adopted adults.
1. Obtain your Adoption Records
For information on obtaining your records click here http://www.gs.gov.nl.ca/birth/accessing_records_under_adoption_act/
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
M1R 3E4 Telephone: 416-285-4344
Once you have obtained the names of your natural parents or the child you lost to 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.
History of Open Records Legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador:
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador passed open records legislation The Adoption Act (1999 cA-2.1) on December 14, 1999. The government then stalled, only officially proclaiming this legislation in May 2003.
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