Birth parents and adopted people who are 19 and older in Nova Scotia will soon be able to access their adoption records.
According to a news release from the province, starting May 1, people will be able to apply to the provinces Disclosure Program and receive their information under the Adoption Records Act.
The province says individuals wishing to protect their privacy can file a disclosure veto or contact notice if the record has not already been released.
“While the opening of adoption records is welcomed by many, others wish to maintain their privacy,” said Karla MacFarlane, minister of community services in a news release.
“Disclosure vetoes and contact notices will continue to be accepted after May 1, depending on whether the information has already been shared.”
A disclosure veto is a document that prevents identifying information about an adopted person or birth parent from being shared.
With a contact notice, people share identifying information and state how they want to be contacted or that they don’t wish to be contacted.
As of April 20, the province says 235 disclosure vetoes and 60 contact notices have been submitted.
The province says the website will also have printable versions of the form to download, fill out and send through regular mail to apply for their information.
