[Shannonfay]

It's difficult to determine how helpful the open records will be when they are available in Alberta in the Fall of 2004.

Sometimes, the non-identifying information regarding a birthmother is quite helpful in a search....

and whether the non-identifying information will be supplied along with the birthmothers name or if it's just the bmom's name that will be supplied (in the Fall of 2004) is not known yet.

I think that if one has not yet received their non-identifying information from Alberta Post Adoption Registry yet, I would suggest they do it now ....that would ensure one has the non-identifying information and then, if needed, one can re-apply later to receive whatever information will be open to them after September.

To receive the non-identifying information now, there is no charge.
It is anticipated that with the opening of records, a fee would be involved.

The problem I can see with the new law is that is open from Birthparents to birthchildren and vice versa, but not from birthsibling to birthsibling.

Just because a registered search agency is not able to search after the law changes, doesn't mean one has to rush to sign up with them......
it only means that merely the party (whether it be adoptee or birthparent) will be able to receive the information that previously the registered searcher received when hired.

A search quite often can be relatively simple, if one knows what steps to take.

So, not sure if this helps but it might shed a little light on the subject.
~Shannon~