FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  (FAQs)

What is "Parent Finders"?
What can Parent Finders do to assist me?
What is CARR?
How much does a Parent Finders membership or registration cost?
How can I register with Parent Finders?
Did I have a name at birth before I was adopted?
Where should I go to begin my search?
What information can I get about my birth relatives?
What can I do if I can not get a birth name?
How do I approach my birth relatives if found?
What information can I get about the child I created?
How long does it take to get information about my birth relatives or the child I created?

What is "Parent Finders"?

        See Parent Finders Information Sheet.                                                                   

What can Parent Finders do to assist me?

See Parent Finders Information Sheet                                                                   

What is CARR?

CARR, or the Canadian Adoption Reunion Register, is a data base maintained by Parent Finders.  All adoptees and birth relatives that register with a Parent Finders group have their information placed in the data base and cross checked against all existing and future registrations for any possible match.  When a match or possible match is found, the registrant is notified through the Group they registered with.  Some Affiliated groups also offer CARR registration to their members.  As of November 19, 2003, the CARR data base contains:

Female adoptees -         26,292 
Male adoptees -            12,881 
Birth relatives -              19,591 
                                      -------
Total registrations       58,764               

How much does a Parent Finders membership or registration cost?

        Fees vary slightly from $25.00 at the various  Parent Finders locations.

How can I register with Parent Finders?

• Contact the Parent Finders office nearest to you - see   Directory , or,

• Complete and mail a Parent Finders   Registration Form

Did I have a name at birth before I was adopted?

In every Province and Territory, all infants born must be registered (with an identifying name) at birth by a birth relative (usually the birth mother).  This is a regulation under the Vital Statistics Acts.  When an adoption is legally finalized, the infant is referred to at the top of the Order of Adoption by their full birth name.  The adopting parents then apply to adopt the infant and the infant is then given their new adopted name; and henceforth any birth certificate issued will be in the new adopted name citing the adopting parents as the legal parents for all future purposes.   Access to original birth names varies amongst Provinces/Territories.  See   Provincial Adoption Services   page.  Only British Columbia allows personal access to the original Registration of a Live Birth document and copy of the Order of Adoption at this time.  

Where should I go to begin my search?

After assembling all the information you have to date, then write to the Adoption Reunion Register in the Province/Territory where you were born (and the adoption was legally finalized) - see Provincial Adoption Services page.

What information can I get about my birth relatives?

See Provincial Adoption Services page, select the Province or Territory of your birth and look  under the "Identifying" and "Non-identifying" headings.

What can I do if I can not get a birth name?

Your search will then be very difficult and you will be forced to use and pay for whatever services are available in the Province/Territory where you were born.  Most Provinces/Territories maintain Adoption Reunion Registers on a  "fee-for-services" basis.  

Your other option is to register with Parent Finders of Canada's  Canadian Adoption Reunion Register (CARR) or one of the on-line registries, in the hope that you may achieve a reunion match through one of these databases.  CARR presently contains over 58,760 registrations of searching adult adoptees and birth relatives.

How do I approach my birth relatives if found?

With extreme sensitivity and consideration.  Parent Finders or Provincial Reunion Registry staff have had a great deal of experience in making approach calls to birth parents or adult adoptees in an intermediary role.  They can give you guidance and support at this very important phase of your search and reunion process.               

What information can I get about the child I created?

Generally, every Province/Territory will give non-identifying background information describing the adopting parents, any other children in the home, and a social description of the family life.  In British Columbia, provided no Disclosure Veto has been filed, the Birth Parent named on the Registration of a Live Birth, will receive the new adopted name of the infant they relinquished.  See Provincial Adoption Services page.

How long does it take to get information about my birth relatives or the child I created?

Service delivery varies amongst the Provinces/Territories from a minimum of three months in Alberta to as long as six years in some parts of Ontario.  This is directly related to the level of commitment and funding allocated by the current governments.