Adoption and Maternity Home Records

The United Church of Canada Archives holds the adoption records for Victor Home for Unwed Mothers, Toronto, 1913 to 1989.

Conditions governing access to adoption records held at The United Church of Canada Archives are outlined on this page.

The Access to Adoption Records Policy (PDF, 92 KB) can also be downloaded for user convenience.

The Research Guide to Maternity Homes (PDF, 402 KB) provides more information about maternity homes operated by The United Church of Canada.

Access to Adoption Records

The United Church of Canada Archives (the Archives) holds certain adoption records relating to children born in or adopted out of maternity homes operated by the United Church throughout the 20th century in Ontario.

All adoption records held by the Archives are private and confidential and may not be disclosed except in accordance with this policy, subject to compliance with the Access to Adoption Records Act (Vital Statistics Statute Law Amendment), 2008, S.O. 2008, c. 5 – Bill 12, the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 14, Sched. 1, any successor legislation, and any relevant regulations.

Non-identifying information

The Archives will provide non-identifying information from our records to adult adopted persons, adoptive parents, birth parents, birth grandparents, birth siblings, and birth aunts/uncles.

Non-identifying information means one or more pieces of information that relate to an individual the disclosure of which, whether disclosed separately or together, will not reveal the identity of the individual.

Non-identifying information related to an adoption could include background information related to the adopted person’s birth family or adoptive family, the circumstances leading to the adoption placement, the details relating to the birth of the adopted person, the care received by the adopted person prior to adoption, the developmental progress of the adopted person, and the date of an adoption placement or adoption order.

The Archives cannot guarantee the retrieval of any specific record. These are historical records and information may be incomplete degraded, or missing. The Archives makes no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of any information that is provided.

To make a request for non-identifying information, please contact The Archives at

The United Church of Canada Archives
40 Oak Street
Toronto, Ontario, M5A 2C6
416-231-7680 extension 1101

The Archives will require individuals making a request to provide evidence of their identity and if they are not the adopted person or the birth parent, evidence of their relationship to the adopted person. Proof of identity and/or relationship to the adopted person could include driver’s licence, passport, birth certificate, medical records including genealogical information, church records including genealogical information, obituary or death notice, and change of name document, etc.

Identifying Information

The Archives may provide identifying information to individuals who have successfully applied for adoption records from Service Ontario, and who can provide evidence to the Archives that no disclosure veto was registered by the birth parent or adopted adult. However, at the discretion of the Archives, certain sensitive or medical information contained in the records may only be disclosed to the individual patient or client.

Service Ontario Records

The Province of Ontario manages the adoption records for children born and/or adopted in Ontario, and has recently legislated partially open adoption records. 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 contact the Ministry of Community and Social Services through Service Ontario. Certain identifying information may be withheld if either the adopted adult or a birth parent has registered a disclosure veto.