What are sealed records?
Sealed records are all documents used to complete an adoption in the courts. When the termination is final, they are marked sealed and no one has access to the file. When the adoption is finalized, they are again sealed and access is denied. This is the current law although changes may occur in the future. The agency has a copy of all records and they are kept locked and are assessable to staff members only.
Sealed records refers to the practice by the courts and Alberta Childrens Services of making adoption records inaccessible to the parties involved once the adoption is finalized. However, in open adoption all parties have complete identifying information on each other and therefore already know the information contained in the sealed records.
The idea of sealed records comes from years ago when adoptions were very secretive. As a consequence of sealed records, many adopted people were denied the opportunity to gain basic information about themselves. The heavy emphasis on secrecy in those days prompted adopted persons and birthparents to go to extraordinary means (sometimes sneaky and extralegal) to find the information and reassurance they craved.
