[duncantina]

Hi All,

I just received my non id info. I found it all very touching. I finally know what my birth mother looks like and where I was born. Questions I'd had for years now. I just don't know what to do now or where to go with this info. I could give Batshaw 500.00 to do a search for me, but that could take forever. My brother waited 5 years before he heard from them only to be told the b-mother didn't want contact. Is there ant way I can do some searching on my own. I was born at he montreal general on Oct.28.64. My b mother named me Tina Ann and she registerd me herself at city hall. What do I do???

Tina

[guimauve]

Hi Tina; It is wonderful to find new info about ourselves. I can remember so clearly the day I went to Batshaw to pick-up my non-identifying info...20 years ago.


I suggest you register yourself at "Canadian Adoptees Registry" It's free and was a great help to me in my search. http://www.canadianadopteesregistry.org/index.html

All the best, Mary

[Laura_wilson99]

Make sure you register at all of the online adoption agency registries such as Canadopt, Kindred Spirits, and the Canadian Adoption agency. (Just go to google and type Canadian adoption and they all pop up).
I did this and the Canadian Adoption Registry called me and told me they had a match from 10 years ago when my birth mother contacted them. Unfortunately, I still have not found her since the address they gave me was dated and no one knows where she moved. But the point is, they really make an effort to match people who are searching.
I would also check with your adoption agency that handled your adoption and see if they do searches. Many of them do. Quebec is kind of a pain since it is not open adoption, but it is worth a shot. Good luck!!

[Marc Anthony]

Hi. I got my none Iding info a while back and it became clear that they did not refer to my parents in such a positive light. Did anyone there refer to himself or herself as professional? Social workers, psychologists, etc....

[Laura_wilson99]

Yes, they were social workers. Batshaw tried to find my mother on and off for 5 years, but they had no luck. I had better luck with Alice McDonald from the Canadian Adoptees Registry.

[Marc Anthony]

How did you know if they where SWkers? I also registered myself with that other service. I have been at this since 1989. I am now 32 years old. Not quite ready to quit but very frustrated as I know my parents would have wanted me to find them.

[Laura_wilson99]

They told me they were social workers.
I understand your frustration since I am 30 and I have been looking for about the same amount of time as you. I also have the additional frustration of knowing that my mother went to an agency to find me but at the time I was underage, so they wouldn't give her any information. Since so many years have now gone by, none of her contact information is still valid.

[Marc Anthony]

O.K. that is sad. I do want to make you aware of one important fact. Batshaw has NO interest in helping you. Call the order of professional social workers and ask if the person who told you that they are a social worker really is and then ask yourself if they misrepresent themselves to you on this front, can they be hidding other pertinent info. Please be very discrete.

Thanks

[Lizzyb]

Hi Tina

Good news that you have found out these details - hope it all goes well for you.

I am writing to let you know that I am looking for my sister through Batshaw ( Gillian Banks is the social worker involved).Dad and I are actually at the stage where my sister has been located by the social worker and a letter has been sent to her from Dad via Batshaw. We have had no response as yet from my sister and a month as gone by which is very upsetting.As Dad was not named on her birth details and the mother is deceased, we are not entitled to any identifying information. However the social worker did comment to Dad that my sister did not seem to be a "professional" person. Does anyone else know what they could mean by this?

Always interested to know how others are going with their searched involving Batshaw.

Best of luck!

Liz
Australia
Looking for sister dob 3/19/1963 birthname Ellen Hookes

[Marc Anthony]

I have been dealing with Batshaw and I am telling you that they have no problem saying that our biological parents whre at fault, poor, irrisponsible or whatever. The fact is, Batshaw employees are not prefessionals. Call the order of professional social workers and ask.

Ordre professionnel des travailleurs sociaux
5757, av. Decelles, bureau 335,
Montréal (Québec)
H3S 2C3
Tél.: (514) 731-3925, sans frais : 1 888 731-9420
Télécopieur : (514) 731-6785


P.S. Looking for birth parents. I was born at Catharine Booth Hospital In N.D.G. August 3rd, 1971. My name was Marc Anthony. I have given @$450 to Batshaw and all they have given me where undelivered promises. This has been going on for years.

[Marc Anthony]

I called the order and this Gillian Banks has never been a professional within the order of social workers. See what I mean? And then they go ahead and make these type of damaging statements. Be cool and ask her for proof. Something in writing...this will help us get the mandate away from Batshaw and into the hands of some real professionals. This is exactly what is happening with me. I have nothing to gain by asking you to do this except for maybe a reunion with my parents, siblings, etc...Batshaw is just in it for a 53 million dollar a year budget. In other words Batshaw can be likened with an employment program. I wonder if this type of thing goes on across the board.

Thanks

[Kellster]

Hi all who were born in Quebec. I recently found my friend's bmom this way:

1. Contact ParentFinders Montreal to see if they can give you the birthmother's name, if you do not have it yet.

2. Search for her name in the "Might's" City Directory for where your bmom lived (or try a few surrounding cities, if you are not sure where she was from). They can be found in most libraries.
These annual directories existed for most cities and list every person over 18 who lived at each address, as well as their occupation. You can see if this matches your non-id info. Also, take the names who also lived in that household and search for them.
3. The way I found my friend's bmom: I looked for obituaries for the two parents listed at the same address as the bmom. Found the bgrandmother's obituary from many years later and it listed the bmom's married name!

Best of luck to all who are searching. PM me if I can help any of you.

Just one word of warning- although I am sure you have heard it all before- my friend's bmom was not interested in contact and was not very nice about it, to put it mildly, so just "brace" yourself as much as possible.

Kelly

[Laura_wilson99]

Kelly,
Great ideas. Thanks so much for the help!

[Marc Anthony]

I've used this route before and they are at the mercy of Villa maria social services...I wonder if your friend's mother got a call from Batshaw regarding your friend professionalism or something to that effect....

Thanks

[Kellster]

Marc,

Who is at the mercy of Ville Marie social services?

Kelly