It’s a step in the right direction.
That was the reaction from the Nova Scotia Adoptee Advocacy Group (NSAAG) after looking at a new report on adoption records that was just released by the province.
The report entitled What We Heard: A report on the public consultation results, from the Department of community services, held community information sessions, meetings, ran online surveys, and collected written submissions from people looking to share their thoughts on adoption records in Nova Scotia.
Almost 3,000 people participated in the report, and the results were welcome by NSAAG.
That’s according to Scott Pyke, founder of the group, who says the findings of the report are in line with what his group has been saying – the majority of birth parents and their families want a modernized Adoption Disclosure Act in Nova Scotia.
Pyke tells News 95.7, so far, he’s pleased with the work the government is doing, and says he and others have been pleased with the process.
“I felt heard. I know a lot of other adoptees felt heard at this event. I think it was a really good opportunity to kinda get this off our chest and move forward in a way. And this is what we’re seeing with the release of this report, that things are moving forward this time,” he says.
Some of the topics outlined in the report include the current law not providing enough access to identifying information, a readiness for participants to move toward open records legislation, and desire from participants to bring Nova Scotia in line with the rest of Canada.
In the NSAAG’s press release on the issue, they specifically thanked the government for their help on this, but Pyke says they will make sure to keep pushing them until the legislation has been changed.
“Once I had children I kinda wanted to know more about where I came from so I can pass this along to my children, so I can give them a better idea of their history. And that’s the biggest question that always seems to come up with adoptees: where did I come from, and where am I going?” he says.
