Finding your Roots

The Children's Aid Society of Toronto provides non-identifying information from our records to adult adopted persons, adoptive parents, birth parents, birth grandparents, birth siblings, birth aunts/uncles, and the adult children of deceased adopted individuals. 

Adopted individuals and their birth relatives may use our online Records Request System available here (select the request type “Adoption disclosure”). Alternatively, an “Request for non-identifying adoption information” form which may be printed and completed offline can be found here.

If you have chosen to receive the records electronically, once we have prepared a response to your request you will receive an e-mail with a link to our secure portal where you can download the response.

The Children's Aid Society of Toronto will also provide information to individuals who were not adopted but who were formerly in care. These individuals may use our online Records Request System available here and select the request type “Access to my records.” For more information, please see How to Request Access to Your Records, above.

For more information, please email YourRoots@torontocas.ca  or call 416-924-4646 ext. 2597.

Identifying Information

Adult adopted persons wishing to obtain a copy of their original birth registration and/or their final adoption order, and birth parents wishing to obtain access to information from their child’s birth records and adoption orders can call Service Ontario at 416-325-8305 or toll free at 1-800-461-2156, or download an application form for “Post Adoption Birth Information” from the Service Ontario website. Children’s Aid Societies are only permitted to release non-identifying information, and we are not involved in this process.

Adoption Disclosure Register

If you are an adopted person seeking contact with a birth relative or vice versa, you may wish to place your name on the Adoption Disclosure Register. If you register and the person you are seeking also registers and wishes to have contact with you, your identifying information will be exchanged. Application forms and guides are available at Service Ontario or by calling Service Ontario at 416-325-8305 or 1-800-461-2156. Please note that children’s aid societies do not have access to the Register.