Foster care adoption & Birth Certificates...?

Annabelle, let me try to deal with a couple of these issues having gone through the process once already in Alberta and waiting to go again.

We tried to get a copy of our daughter birth certificate prior to her adoption being completed and we were denied. We have the letter stating that we have no right to that personal information as the Director of CFS was her legal Guardian (at that time). Essentially, they were correct. As foster parents in the Foster to Adopt program we were simply "employees" of the department until such time as the intention to adopt forms were signed. Still, after that, we were not entitled to that info since we had no legal claim to the child yet. Our asking for it was just as if some stranger walked in and asked for your birth certificate.

The only people who can get access to this original birth certificate, because he/she is the legally appointed guardian of the child in care, is the Director of the program. You get a form delegating certain care responsibilities to you as a foster parent but none of that allows you access to his/her (the child's) private records. You will be able to enroll them in school, provide for basic vaccinations and medical/dental care, enroll them in sports (except using a trampoline oddly enough) and a few other things. You can't even get a girl foster child's ears pierced without permission.

Knowing the info won't be a problem for you though if you keep your ears open. When a child comes to you you will know their last name and if you just simply keep your ears and eyes open during the foster portion of the process you will gather the rest of the information very quickly. The first time you take the child to the Doctor you will have to amend the forms there and naturally the child's birth parents will most likely be listed. I know ours was. In our case too we got to discharge her from the hospital after delivery (yes, it was a foster to adopt situation) and the parents name was on the wrist and ankle band.

One other misconception you have is that Alberta adoption records are not sealed. Actually, they are sealed (and the birth certificates are amended) and the info regarding that is here at this link: http://www.child.gov.ab.ca/home/602.cfm I don't know who told you that they were not but they were wrong.

When you do get a child placed with you though just remember that when it comes time for the adoption you will get a very comprehensive naturally family history document. There is no identifying information on it however as they are legally prohibited by our privacy laws to give that info out. The report we did receive though was approx 30 pages and it encompassed the info and family history for both biological parents...or as much as they were willing to provide and the Department was able to gather.

As far as photos are concerned I know the first thing we did when we were able to was to sign up for the adoption registry which will act as a conduit to deliver cards, letters and photos between ourselves and the natural parents. The only flaw with that system is that while we registered the natural parents have not yet chosen to do so. I know they were provided with the forms and were told that we would be but that is a choice they need to make.

We had been advised before the adoption was concluded that given the reasons why our daughter was in foster care that it would be better NOT to exchange photos or letters. It was explained to us both by our support worker (who you know) and the babies social worker as well as neutral parties that if we chose to do that prior to adoption then the courts would look upon it as consentual contact and that even though their parental rights had been terminated the birth parents would be called into court to speak to the subject of the adoption. Since there was no way they could regain custody and given the fact the father is in jail out of Province and the mother is on the street more then she can be found it could have and most likely would have delayed the process by months if not years. Of course, your decision what to do is your business and will be based on your situation and the situation of the child you still have to remember that these children have been removed from their homes for some pretty serious reasons and sometimes you have to remember to think with your head and not with your heart. These are not normal agency adoptions.

There is a family here where I live that actually let me talk to them about getting original birth certificates for their foster children and did manage to get a copy for their last two (brother and sister) that they fostered. I don't know how she did it or what excuse she used but I do remember her calling me to tell me that she had gotten them. So I guess it just depends on where you live.

I always suggest getting a copy to any foster parents even under the worst circumstances, because these kids grow up and become adults who are capable of handling their own affairs. Maybe not right at 18, but one day these parents will no longer be a threat to them and they deserve to have their information and decide for them selves what to do with it.

The question was raised about the kids that are fostered and not adopted by the foster family, I suggested passing the OBC along with the new parents, or just keeping it in a file in case one day they manage to find their way back.

yes you are given it because it assist in placing them in school etc. When they go to the next foster home if there is one she will take it back and give it to the next family. Kids don't have state ids this helps having this info. If you adopt the foster child or if someone else does then it gets changed. the same reason because you are now the parent and you are entitled to make the decisions and you need that a birth certificate to even get a liecense and to show that you are the childs parent and not just some adult. Now if you adopt them i would keep the orginal for them that will help them track down their first family later if you want to

When I aged-out of FC I was given my birth certificate, social security card, some medical information, education records, and a couple other things. However, I was NEVER given access to my file and neither were foster parents.

When I got older, I tried to get MY file and was told that I had to petition the courts of the state I had lived in.

I did so and the courts decided what if anything to give me. I received a "summary" that was a couple pages long about my entire life...NOT the file. And the information was crap. I could not even get names of the few foster parents that I might have wanted to thank.

Most states have a process for a foster child getting their "file" but that does not mean you actually get the "file." It means you get what the state wants to give you.

On top of that, the "system" did not keep information on my bio-parents once TPR occurred. According to the file, the last information they had on record about them was at the age I officially became "legally free" for adoption. When TPR occurred, it was as if the bio-parents were no longer in the picture....nor in the file.

(And I know this because in my case my bio-father spent time in prison, so the information I received was along the lines of "bio-father awaiting trial in xxx county" That was it...no updates.)

Canada might be different and I say listen to Randy about that.

What should you keep?

If you are planning on adopting the children, keep your memories and history with them. Keep a book from when they came (although I hate lifebooks, if the kids are staying and not bouncing around it is useful)

Keep what few if any positive things you know about the bio-parents handy so when they ask.

Keep anything the "system" gives you, but depending on why the children are in foster care should be dependent if they see it.

Keep everything the kids give you ~ artwork,poems, etc. Why? Watch the growth....and the changes.

Now about the pictures and letters. This is very dependent on the situation. A bio-parent who is in jail for abuse should get nothing, all connections should be severed for the sake of the child. A bio-parent who abused over and over should get nothing. These people DO NOT change. And a child needs safety. Example: I looked alot different at age 7 then I do now. I changed part of my name. But if my bio-parents had pictures of me growing into adulthood, it would make it much easier for them to track me down, if they wanted.

On the other hand, perhaps mothers who lost their children because of neglect based on drug use. Might consider that, if the bio-mother is clean.

I say ask the child frequently. The child might say "yes" initially until the child begins to feel safe and then say "no." That is the child's right!

Doesn't the child have a right and say in the matter? If someone had asked me, I would have screamed no, because the foster situation was supposed to keep me safe from them.

While you are still fostering them ask their SW for copies, use WHATEVER excuse you need to in order to get them, shots, school, daycare etc. Once the adoption is final you will lose your window of opportunity! Also, keep ALL the FC records you can get your hands on, I was in care for 2 months prior to my adoption and I have my file from the AB Post Adoption Registry but none of my FC records are in it.

Once they turn 18 they will be able to access their file, including OBC, from the PAR. You can also ask to have contact (pictures, updates etc) with the bio parents through the PAR but if you do this please actually do it (I doubt you would go back on your word though). I was suppose to have contact through PAR but after 12 years I'm still waiting for even one photo, it really blows.

That varies, even in the US. In my state, workers are not allowed to give out any identifying info on the birth parents. Not to the foster family, foster-adopt family, not the adoptive family, not to anyone. It's presented as confidentiality "for" the family and the child.

This info is available to the adoptee when they are 18, through the registry. IF the birth parent registered.

In the US, although children don't receive their actual original birth certificates, they do get the information off of them in the file that is presented to the adopting parents. In the file, there is the complete information on the first parents, including names, addresses, various other relatives who've been contacted, and the reasons that the children are in foster care.

The social worker who is handling the case should be able to provide the information to you, if it's available.

I think CPS gives you a copy i know i did but i am in th US

We got a copy of all medical and social history including orginal birth certificate it was just a photo copy though

LISTEN TO WHAT RANDY SAID HERE.