{"settlement":{"id":"bc-birth-alerts-2026","slug":"bc-birth-alerts-2026","title":"British Columbia Birth Alerts Class Action","category":"Privacy","status":"Claims open","tags":{"industry":["Government services"],"geographic":["British Columbia","Canada-wide"],"recoveryType":["Cash payment"],"documentation":["Identity verification required"],"eligibilityTrigger":["Other"]},"classDefinition":"All persons who were the subject of a Birth Alert in British Columbia between May 31, 1980 and May 8, 2026. A Birth Alert was a communication sent by a child welfare worker (from the Ministry of Children and Family Development or a delegated Indigenous agency) to a hospital expressing or implying that a person was pregnant and that their child might need protection after birth. People who were under 19 and in the care or custody of the Provincial Director of Child Welfare or the Province at the time the Birth Alert was issued are not included.","plainLanguageSummary":"If you were the subject of a Birth Alert sent to a British Columbia hospital between May 31, 1980 and May 8, 2026, you may be eligible for a payment of at least $2,000, with an additional amount for Indigenous class members. Where you live now does not affect your eligibility. You do not need to live in British Columbia to file a claim. Eligibility is based on meeting the class definition, not on where you live today.","eligibilityCriteria":[],"recoveryRange":{"min":2000,"perUnit":"per person"},"filingInstructions":"Gather your government-issued identification (front and back), dates or approximate dates of your pregnancies or births, and the names of the BC hospitals where you gave birth or received prenatal care.\nIf you identify as Indigenous and want the additional Indigenous compensation, have your Status Card or registration number, Métis citizenship or membership number, or Inuit disc or beneficiary number ready, or complete the Statutory Declaration included with the Claim Form.\nComplete the Claim Form online at https://www.BirthAlertsBC.ca/Claims (fastest), or request a paper form online or by calling the Claims Helpers at 1-833-632-6557.\nSign the authorizations on the form allowing Class Counsel to request and review your hospital records to look for evidence of a Birth Alert.\nSubmit the form online, by mail to BC Birth Alerts (KZQ), P.O. Box 3355, London, ON N6A 4K3, or by fax to 1-604-259-2225, including copies (not originals) of your identification.\nCall a Claims Helper at 1-833-632-6557 at any point if you need help; their support is provided at no cost to you.","caseBackground":"A Birth Alert was a message a child welfare worker sent to one or more hospitals saying that a person was pregnant and suggesting their baby might need protection after birth. In British Columbia, these alerts were sent by workers from the Ministry of Children and Family Development and delegated Indigenous agencies, often without the pregnant person's knowledge. The Province announced the end of the practice in 2019, and in 2021 a class action was filed claiming Birth Alerts violated privacy and the rights to liberty, security, and, for Indigenous parents, equality.\n\nIn 2026, the Province agreed to pay $66 million to settle the case, without admitting wrongdoing. Before the settlement becomes final, the Supreme Court of British Columbia must approve it at a hearing scheduled for December 4, 2026 in Vancouver. The claims process is already open, and everyone who submits an eligible claim will receive at least $2,000, with Indigenous class members receiving an additional amount. No payments will be made unless the Court approves the settlement and all claims have been assessed.","administratorName":"Verita Global LLC","administratorContacts":[{"type":"phone","label":"","value":"1-833-632-6557"},{"type":"email","label":"","value":"Info-BABC@BirthAlertsBC.ca"},{"type":"mail","label":"","value":"Birth Alerts BC Notice Provider (c/o Castlemain), 688 Saint Joseph Street, Winnipeg, MB R2H 3E2, Canada"},{"type":"online","label":"","value":"https://www.BirthAlertsBC.ca"}],"administratorRole":"claims","agentName":"","agentContacts":[],"agentClaimFormHelp":false,"classCounselName":"CFM Lawyers LLP","classCounselContacts":[{"type":"phone","label":"","value":"1-800-689-2322"},{"type":"email","label":"","value":"BCBirthAlerts@CFMLawyers.ca"},{"type":"fax","label":"","value":"1-604-689-7554"},{"type":"mail","label":"","value":"Suite 400 - 856 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 2W5"}],"classCounselFirms":[{"name":"CFM Lawyers LLP","region":"","contacts":[{"type":"phone","label":"","value":"1-800-689-2322"},{"type":"email","label":"","value":"BCBirthAlerts@CFMLawyers.ca"},{"type":"fax","label":"","value":"1-604-689-7554"},{"type":"mail","label":"","value":"Suite 400 - 856 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 2W5"}]}],"submissionMethods":[{"type":"online","label":"","value":"https://www.BirthAlertsBC.ca/Claims"},{"type":"mail","label":"","value":"BC Birth Alerts (KZQ), P.O. Box 3355, London, ON N6A 4K3"},{"type":"fax","label":"","value":"1-604-259-2225"}],"sourceDocuments":[{"url":"/uploads/6600b0326f537d0fc6683f9b-LongFormNotice-BABC-Final.pdf","title":"Notice to Class Members"},{"url":"/uploads/d21bb6478441ec148e947771-ClaimForm-BABC-Final.pdf","title":"Claim Form"},{"url":"/uploads/04617b9e5a3d87376b29a165-Birth-Alerts-BC-Proposed-Settlement-Agreement.pdf","title":"Proposed Settlement Agreement"},{"url":"/uploads/ffb875538d7567f1dcbb85e1-Birth-Alerts-BC-Distribution-Protocol-14-August-2026.pdf","title":"Additional Settlement Document"}],"shortFormNoticeUrl":"/uploads/28ee38e93e8c3b7d51c3e357-ShortFormNotice-BABC-Final.pdf","longFormNoticeUrl":"/uploads/6600b0326f537d0fc6683f9b-LongFormNotice-BABC-Final.pdf","settlementAgreementUrl":"/uploads/04617b9e5a3d87376b29a165-Birth-Alerts-BC-Proposed-Settlement-Agreement.pdf","claimFormDocumentUrl":"/uploads/d21bb6478441ec148e947771-ClaimForm-BABC-Final.pdf","claimForms":[{"id":"312d2fbb3302","url":"/uploads/d21bb6478441ec148e947771-ClaimForm-BABC-Final.pdf","name":"Claim Form","language":"en","description":""}],"claimFormsButtonLabel":"claim-form","claimFormsUnavailable":false,"claimFormsUnavailableReason":"","claimFormGuides":[{"id":"legacy-en","url":"/uploads/fbe3e69adab5cd33f4970e4e-Claim-Form-Guide---Birth-Alerts-BC.pdf","name":"Claim Form Guide","language":"en"}],"additionalDocuments":[],"optOutFormUrl":"/uploads/4b63e9e4be855cd9675cdd4b-OptOutForm-BABC-Final.pdf","optOutInstructions":"To opt out, complete and submit the Opt Out Form by December 8, 2026. You can get the form at https://www.BirthAlertsBC.ca or by calling the Claims Helpers at 1-833-632-6557 and asking them to mail it to you. Send the completed form by mail to Birth Alerts BC Notice Provider (c/o Castlemain), 688 Saint Joseph Street, Winnipeg, MB R2H 3E2, by email to Info-BABC@BirthAlertsBC.ca, or by fax to 1-833-233-2982.","objectionFormUrl":"/uploads/ed37811313ac319a9d17fcd3-ObjectionForm-BABC-Final.pdf","objectionInstructions":"Complete the Objection Form ONLY if you want to voice your objection to the proposed\nsettlement OR the Distribution Plan, OR Class Counsel’s request for legal fees. Send the completed form by mail to Birth Alerts BC Notice Provider (c/o Castlemain), 688 Saint Joseph Street, Winnipeg, MB R2H 3E2, by email to Info-BABC@BirthAlertsBC.ca, or by fax to 1-833-233-2982.","faqs":[{"answer":"Everyone whose claim is approved will receive at least $2,000. The final amount may be higher and depends on how many people submit eligible claims. Indigenous class members will receive an additional amount, and every Indigenous class member will receive the same total, as will every non-Indigenous class member.","question":"How much money could I receive?"},{"answer":"The claims process is open now and you can submit your claim right away. A final claims deadline has not yet been set; under the proposed plan it will be 12 months after the second publication of the claims notice, and further information will be available after the Court decides whether to approve the settlement at the hearing on December 4, 2026.","question":"What is the deadline to submit a claim?"},{"answer":"You need a copy of your government-issued identification (front and back), the dates or approximate dates of your pregnancies or births, and the BC hospitals where you gave birth or received prenatal care. You will not need to find proof of the Birth Alert itself; by signing the form you allow Class Counsel to request and review your hospital records to look for evidence of one. Indigenous claimants seeking the additional amount can provide a status, citizenship, or beneficiary number, or sign a statutory declaration.","question":"What documents do I need to file a claim?"},{"answer":"Yes. If you do not want to be part of the settlement, you must submit the Opt Out Form by December 8, 2026 by mail, email, or fax. If you want to stay in the settlement but tell the Court you disagree with it, the Distribution Plan, or the request for legal fees, you must submit an Objection Form by November 20, 2026. Forms are available at https://www.BirthAlertsBC.ca or by calling 1-833-632-6557.","question":"Can I still opt out of or object to the settlement?"},{"answer":"No payments will be made unless the Court approves the settlement at the hearing scheduled for December 4, 2026. Payments will be issued only after the claims period ends and all claims have been assessed, because the final amounts depend on the number of approved claims.","question":"When will I be paid?"},{"answer":"If Class Counsel does not find evidence of a Birth Alert in your hospital records, the Claims Administrator will write to you and you can submit supplementary documentation (up to 5 pages) as evidence, with help available from the Claims Helpers. If your claim is rejected, you can appeal in writing within 60 days of the decision notice, and an arbitrator appointed by the Court will decide the appeal.","question":"What if no evidence of a Birth Alert is found in my hospital records?"}],"eligibilityChecker":{"questions":[{"id":"pregnant-in-bc","text":"Were you pregnant between May 31, 1980 and May 8, 2026 and did you give birth or receive pregnancy-related care at a hospital in British Columbia?","type":"yes_no","helpText":"You may still qualify if you were pregnant but did not give birth, for example if you experienced a miscarriage.","qualifyingAnswer":"yes","criticalForEligibility":true},{"id":"subject-of-birth-alert","text":"Do you believe or suspect that a child welfare worker sent a Birth Alert about you to a hospital?","type":"yes_no","helpText":"Many people were never told a Birth Alert was issued about them. If you are unsure, a Claims Helper at 1-833-632-6557 can help you find out.","qualifyingAnswer":"yes","criticalForEligibility":true},{"id":"child-in-care","text":"At the time the Birth Alert was issued, were you both under the age of 19 and in the care or custody of the Provincial Director of Child Welfare or the Province of British Columbia?","type":"yes_no","helpText":"People who were a child in care and under 19 at the time of the Birth Alert are not included in this class action.","qualifyingAnswer":"no","criticalForEligibility":true}],"uncertainMessage":"Some of your answers were Not sure, so we could not confidently determine your eligibility.","qualifyingMessage":"Based on your answers, you appear to fall within the class definition for this settlement.","nonQualifyingMessage":"Based on your answers, you do not appear to fall within the class definition for this settlement."},"claimCategories":[{"id":"base-compensation","name":"Base compensation","description":"All class members who submit an approved claim will receive base compensation of at least $2,000. The final amount depends on how many people submit eligible claims, and every non-Indigenous class member will receive the same amount.","recoveryType":["Cash payment"],"documentation":["Identity verification required"],"recoveryRange":"At least $2,000 per person","eligibilityChecker":null,"eligibilityCriteria":["You were the subject of a Birth Alert in British Columbia between May 31, 1980 and May 8, 2026","You were not both under 19 and a child in care when the Birth Alert was issued"]},{"id":"indigenous-subclass-compensation","name":"Additional Indigenous compensation","description":"Indigenous class members with approved claims will receive an additional amount on top of the base compensation. All Indigenous class members will receive the same amount, determined after the claims deadline once the number of approved claims is known.","recoveryType":["Cash payment"],"documentation":["Self-attestation only","Identity verification required"],"recoveryRange":"Additional amount to be determined after the claims deadline","eligibilityChecker":{"questions":[{"id":"identifies-indigenous","text":"Are you of Indigenous ancestry and do you identify as a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit person?","type":"yes_no","helpText":"If you do not have a status, citizenship, or beneficiary number, you can sign a statutory declaration instead.","qualifyingAnswer":"yes","criticalForEligibility":true}]},"eligibilityCriteria":["You qualify for base compensation as a class member","You are of Indigenous ancestry and self-identify as Indigenous by providing a Status Card or registration number, Métis citizenship or membership number, Inuit disc or beneficiary number, a Temporary Confirmation of Registration Document, or a signed statutory declaration"]}],"proceedings":null,"relatedSlugs":[],"group":null,"cardSummary":"If a child welfare worker sent a Birth Alert about you to a BC hospital any time since May 31, 1980, you may be able to claim at least $2,000. Indigenous class members will receive an additional amount.","proofRequired":"","claimTime":"","claimAmount":"","coverageStartDate":"1980-05-31","coverageEndDate":"2026-05-08","deadline":"","optOutDeadline":"2026-12-08","objectionDeadline":"2026-11-20","approvalHearingDate":"2026-12-04","approvalHearingDates":[{"date":"2026-12-04","label":""}],"approvalPending":false,"seriousHarmEnabled":false,"formHelperEnabled":false,"dateAdded":"2026-08-21","lastUpdated":"2026-09-06","firstPublishedAt":"2026-08-22 02:24:31","claimsOpenedAt":"2026-08-22 02:24:31","lastVerifiedAt":"2026-08-21","languages":["en","fr"]}}