Recommendation: regulation of provision of non-identifying information

As mentioned in several of the comments by people reading the blog, non identifying information given to adoptive families is inconsistent. Some families receive timely information in descriptive detail. Others receive only bare facts. Yet others receive scattered information. The information provided depends partly on what the birth parents and family provided at the time of adoption. It also depends on the information provided by the family worker and by the child care worker and on the expectations of each agency. The revised provincial Social History form that is used for Child Protection does not provide as much detail as the former adoption specific social history.

We recommend that a new adoption specific social history form be developed so that the type of descriptive information provided for adoptive families and adoptees is standardized across the province. The following information should be included:

• Description of the appearance of each birth parent


• Information about the birth parents’ childhood and about who cared for them


• Personality of the birth parents


• Medical and psychiatric health of the birth parents – specific information about diagnoses


• Interests, talents, and skills


• Education and work experience


• Information about how the birth parents met and about their relationship at the time of their adoption


• Information about extended family members and specific information about their social and medical health including level of education and type of employment and about whether they are aware of the birth of the child


• Information about the reason for adoption


• Information about whether the birth parents were involved in choosing the birth family and if they provided a letter or memento for the child


• Information about whether the birth family will welcome future contact or if there are safety concerns


• Anything that the birth parent specifically wants the child to know about them


• Anything else of interest that the child would want to know

H.