Adoption Disclosure Policy

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive policy analysis of the provincial Adoption Disclosure Statute Law Amendment Act (1987). It describes the historical development of adoption disclosure policies in Ontario, including The Child Welfare Act, 1978, which provided the establishment of a provincial voluntary Disclosure Registry. The present policy, which includes a provision to search for a birth relative at the request of the adult adoptee, is then analyzed. The assumptions on which the policy are based and the contextual social and political influences which led to the development of the policy are analyzed. Implications of the policy in terms of service delivery to the target populations and the effects and consequences of the policy on these populations are discussed.