COAR 2003 Election Survey - Toronto Centre-Rosedale Results

Name

Party

Connection with adoption

Types of legislation supported for adult adoptee access to original birth certificate. Options given:
i) unconditional,
ii) with contact veto,
iii) with disclosure veto)

Types of legislation supported for birth parent access to adoptee's amended birth certificate. Options given:
i) unconditional,
ii) with contact veto,
iii) with disclosure veto)

Comments

Gabriel Draven

Green

adoptee

unconditional OR with contact vetoes OR with disclosure vetoes

with contact vetoes OR with disclosure vetoes

Gene Lara

NDP

none

with contact vetoes

Thank you very much for your request about our policies regarding adoption in Ontario. Marilyn Churley, the NDP MPP for Toronto Danforth, has been fighting for adoption access reform in Ontario. We lag behind other provinces such as Newfoundland and British Columbia. It is outrageous that we still have not made positive changes to a clearly antiquated process by allowing adult adoptees to access their own adoption records and medical information.

Howard Hampton and the NDP would move quickly to pass the Adoption Disclosure Statute Law Amendment Act, a law developed and championed by Toronto-Danforth MPP Marilyn Churley. Bill 77 would improve access to records for adoptees and birth parents. This much-needed adoption disclosure would save lives by giving adult adoptees access to their own adoption records and family medical history.

Marilyn Churley's Private bill would:

Provide access to birth registration and adoption records for adult adoptees
Provide access to birth registration and adoption records for birth parents
Implement a Contact Veto
Amend the Child and Family Services Act to provide, upon request, counseling for adopted persons, birth parents and others who may be affected by disclosure of adoption information

The NDP would save lives by improving access to records for adoptees and birth parents. Recent research on genetic diseases clearly shows that keeping adoptees in the dark about their medical history actually sentences many of them to premature deaths.

The NDP would also increase funding for front-line workers in public adoption-related services, and we would review the legislation regarding crown wards to ensure that that as many children can be moved to permanent family situations as soon as possible. We would also review the supports provided to families for adoption-related expenses.

We would also support the child advocate in publishing an annual report and speaking out on behalf of children in care, including making recommendations about how to move children into permanent, stable families.

Main

2003 Ontario Candidate Survey

Page last updated: September 24, 2003