On May 1, Nova Scotia’s Adoption Records Act opened adoption records to provide access to information for an adopted person, birth parent, birth sibling, and other relatives.
Adopted people and birth parents still get to choose if their identifying information is shared, who can contact them (including birth siblings and other relatives), and how they want to be contacted.
The Adoption Records Act allows an adopted person (who is now 19 or older) or birth parent to access identifying information about the other person without first getting consent, unless the adopted person or birth parent filed a disclosure veto. Identifying information includes the name of the birth parents and the adopted person’s adopted name.
If the adopted person or birth parent doesn’t want their identifying information shared with the other person, they need to file a disclosure veto.
The Disclosure Program can help adopted people and birth parents review their privacy options and provide more information about how open adoption records work.
