Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Register of adoptions and record of admittances to children's homes
General material designation
- textual record
Parallel title
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Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the series.
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1913-1945 (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia. Superintendent of Neglected Children
Physical description area
Physical description
5.5 cm of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
In 1897 the British Columbia legislature adopted the "Guardian's Appointment Act" (61 Vict., c. 96) relating to the custody and care of infants. Further, in 1901, the legislature passed the "Children's Protection Act" (1 Ed. 7, c. 9) providing for the incorporation of Children's Aid Societies and for the appointment of a Superintendent. The Provincial Secretary was charged with the administration of this statute and "An Act to Regulate Maternity Boarding Houses, and for the Protection of Infant Children", passed in the same year (1 Ed. 7, c. 29). This latter act required the registration of houses for reception of infants as well as the registration of every infant in the care of such institutions. In 1911 the "Infants Act" was passed consolidating and amending legislation relating to infants (2 Geo. 5, c. 107). In 1918 the "Infants Act" was amended to provide for a Superintendent of Neglected Children who would, among other duties, make annual reports to the Attorney General. Administration of the Act was transferred from the Provincial Secretary to the Attorney General by section 14 of the Act (8 Geo. 5, c. 36) and the Superintendent's first Annual Report was submitted on 30 November 1920.
First appointed to administer the Infants Act in 1919 and the Mothers' Pensions Act in 1920, the Superintendent was responsible for a brief period to the Attorney-General. In 1923 the administration of the Infants Act was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Provincial Secretary. Mothers' Pensions Act was transferred to the Workmen's Compensation Board.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The series consists of records created by the Superintendent of Neglected children, 1913 to 1945. Records consist of a register of adoptions, 1920-1945 (giving date of adoption, date of birth, surname by adoption, first name and surname at birth); record of adoptions, 1920-1931 (giving name of child, sex, name of foster parents, date of consent, date of court order); account of monthly expenditures December 1922 to October 1925 and a record of admittances to children's homes, chiefly the Children's Aid Society, Vancouver, B.C., 1913-1927.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Transferred from Topaz Avenue vault, 1976.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
These records are restricted. Contact the BC Archives for information about access. Please note that access to adoption records cannot be provided by the BC Archives. Adoption records must be requested from the BC Vital Statistics Agency as a Freedom of Information request or by submitting an ‘Application for Service Pertaining to an Adopted Person or Birth Parent’.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): GR-0296