The province is looking for public input on how it handles access to adoption records.
The provincial government has launched an online survey on the possibility of instating open adoption records.
Kelly Regan, Minister of Community Services said the survey was created after hearing from many people who are either for or against open records.
“We have to remind ourselves that for many people, this is a basic need for people to understand where they come from,” she said.
“At the same time, we have to understand that there are some people who, maybe they were a child who was adopted, they may not want to hear from their birth parents.”
Currently, Nova Scotians can ask the government to search for someone who has been placed in adoption.
If found, that person must consent before their information is released to the searching party.
Regan said the survey will help them weigh all the options and outcomes of potential changes.
” We want to make sure we fully understand what implications there are if we were to make changes in this particular area,” she said.
The survey will remain online until Jan. 3, and in-person engagement sessions will be held throughout the province.
Information on how to take the survey can be at novascotia.ca/adoption-records-consultation/.
