General Information
- How to request information
- Controlling Legislation: Adoption Act (RSBC 1996). Chapter 5
- Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Political, Search, and Reunion
- Asian Adult Adoptees of British Columbia – AAABC (Facebook)
- Canada Open Records (Facebook) (Bastard Nation Partner)
- Indigenous Adoptees Fostered British Columbia (Facebook)
Access
Adult adoptee age of access to their original full name: 19 years
Adult adoptee access to their own OBC in full: Conditional – Subject to vetoes Section 63
Adult adoptee access to other identifying information about their natural parents: Conditional. Subject to vetos Section 63
Natural parents of adult adoptee access to identifying information: Conditional – Subject to vetos (Section 64)
Disclosure Vetoes: Can be placed by a parent named on the original birth registration, once the adoptee is an adult Expires 2 years after the death of the person whose information it pertains to. (As far as is known, there is no system in place to find out when this happens. (Section 65)
Contact Veto : legally binding with penalties for violations; punishable by six months in jail or a $10,000 fine can be placed by a natural parent named on the original birth registration, once the adoptee is an adult
Passive registry: Not available
Active search available: Not available
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Links
- Adopted Children’s Rights Under s.60 of Wills Estates and Succession Act of British Columbia, nd
- Born in the US; Adopted in Canada, 60 Minutes/CBS News, February 11, 2005
- Quebec’s closed adoption laws challenged by B.C. woman. CBC News, September 16, 2014
- Métis toddler locked in adoption battle between foster parents, government. CBC News, January 19, 2016
- Nanaimo woman who was adopted can’t get her birth certificate. Nanaimo News Bulletin, October 19, 2017
- Disturbing’ child adoption ads removed following criticism from Indigenous people, CBC News, November 17, 2017
- British Home Children: B.C. women reflect on shameful period in Canadian history, Victoria News, September 28, 2019
- Despite being adopted at birth by Australian citizens abroad Stephanie is out of visa options to live with her family, 9News, June 24, 2020
Updated July 30, 2020
