https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadians/adopt-child-abroad/processes/choose-process/immigration/apply.html

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/91f0015m/91f0015m2024001-eng.htm

https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-Canada-Adoption-and-Foster-Care-Attitudes-Report-WEB-Final.pdf

https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-Canada-Adoption-and-Foster-Care-Attitudes-Report-WEB-Final.pdf.

Children and youth that don`t live with parents and reside with a foster family. This is the most common type of adoption.

Infant Adoption:

Birth parents put their baby for adoption. There are 2 ways for placements:

1. Agency placement – the child stays with a placement agency until adoption parents are found

2. Direct placement – birth parents want to place the child with somebody they know, placement agency is involved. Joint guardianship of both parents until adoption process is finalized

Relative or Stepchild

Adoption of a child that is related by marriage or by blood.

The website of Government of BC provides info on how to adopt a child.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/birth-adoption/adoptions/how-to-adopt-a-child

https://belongingnetwork.com/

-          belonging network offers custom adoption (aboriginal children)

-          what stands out: they recognize that the word adoption brings painful association for the indigenous community!

https://www.sunriseadoption.com/

https://kcr.ca/family-services/adoption-centre-of-british-columbia/

-          Adoption and pregnancy counseling service

-          Non-profit and licensed agency

-          Their contracted social workers who do home study assessment and give support for families during adoption process

-          they offer intercountry adoption and specialize on LGBT

-          open adoption type is offered: ongoing contact between birth parents and adoptee

http://www.choicesadoption.ca/

-          For diverse abilities adoptees, that were placed through provincial government

-          Program to provide financial assistance aiming to support specific needs of child, if not covered by extended medical plan of parents (f.e. therapy, medical expenses, counseling)

-          Application through the assistance of Adoption Social worker

-          Different rates for different age range from the children (0-11 yrs and 12-19 yrs)

-          Eligibility depends on the gross assets of the family

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/birth-adoption/adoptions/how-to-adopt-a-child/adopt-from-foster-care/post-adoption-assistance-program

-          For parents of recently adopted child who are away from work

-          Must be taken within certain time:

-          Parents can choose between standard or extended parental leave

-          Standard within 52 weeks (12 months), up to 55% of earnings

-          Extended within 78 weeks (18 months), up to 33% of earnings

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental.html

-Standard (up to 37 weeks)

-Extended (up to 36 weeks)

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/careers-myhr/all-employees/leave-time-off/maternity-parental-pre-placement-adoption/parental

(Pre-placement means temporary placement)

-          Supports the adoption parent to get paid leave

-          To set up pre-placement before actual adoption

-          85% of pay during time of leave

-          Max. 7 weeks of leave per calender year

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/careers-myhr/all-employees/leave-time-off/maternity-parental-pre-placement-adoption/pre-placement-adoption

https://cyc-net.org/profession/readarounds/ra-papp.html

• Infertility can lead to lack of self-acceptance

• Unrealistic expectations towards the adoptee

• Hidden hostility in the relationship with the adoptee (Wegar, 2000).

Therefore the full willingness, acceptance to change and inclusiveness is important!

https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/adoption-study-highlights-impact-of-young-childrens-genetic-makeup-on-their-parents/

Trauma and harm still impacts the indigenous communities today. Loss of their culture and language means also a loss of their identity.

Even today more than half of children in government care are indigenous (Government of Canada, 2023).

Adoptive families that experience difficulties from behavior problems by the adoptee could benefit from receiving training. Also to look for help through therapy or counseling with an adoption trauma specialized counselor is being advised.

This website also displays the so called adoption loss.

This feeling of loss can occur after many years of the adoption. If the adopted child was placed as newborn, they might still feel loss and grief in their later life. Parents are advised to be understanding and supportive towards the adoptee.

https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/pdf/kits/forms/imm5287e.pdf.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadians/adopt-child-abroad/processes/choose-process/immigration/apply.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/how-to-apply-online.html#alternative

In some provinces, the adoption also needs the child’s advice except the child’s birth parents. In British Columbia, if you wish to adopt a child who is 7-12 years old, you must meet with the child to obtain their views and consent to the adoption（Adoption Act, 2024）.

https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96005_01#section31.

https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-Canada-Adoption-and-Foster-Care-Attitudes-Report-WEB-Final.pdf.

In Quebec, if the child is equal or over 10 years old, the child can put the adoption to an end at any time ( Gouvernement du Québec , 2024).

https://www.quebec.ca/en/family-and-support-for-individuals/pregnancy-parenthood/adoption/adoption-in-quebec.

The Adoption of Aboriginal children is called Aboriginal Custom Adoption. Custom adoption means how a child is being cared for including Indigenous caregiving practices. It aims to respect and maintain the traditions and cultures of indigenous children.

Aboriginal Custom Adoption includes a Cultural safety agreement. The agreement aims to preserve cultural heritage of indigenous children, if they are placed with non-indigenous parents

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/birth-adoption/adoptions/how-to-adopt-a-child/aboriginal-custom-adoption

When adoptees reach the age of 3 years, it helps to start talking with them about the birth. At this age they have a better cognitive understanding and start to mentally classify events.

Feelings of shame and loss of self-confidence can happen, due to a negative social image of the birth parents.

Finding similarities and differences between themselves and the adoptive parents is common. Adolescent adoptees might look for info about their birth parents, which the adoption parents shouldn`t see negatively. Rather a willingness to accept the adoptee’s former history will also help the child’s acceptance of the situation.

https://cafdn.org/

bcfosterparents.caBC Foster Parents Association – Another branch of the family ...

https://sixtiesscoopnetwork.org/services

https://www.nanda.ca/family-law/adoption/

• Many adoptive parents often face stigma because of “non-traditional” family structures. LGBTQ adoptive parents sometimes face additional stigma because of their sexual identity.

• This can cause many mental health struggles for these couples. 

• LGBTQ people wanting to adopt can face stigma, discrimination and microaggressions due to their parental sexual orientation.

• Ex. microaggression : someone asking a lesbian couple: “who's the father?".

• “If a disability appears to be a legitimate concern, placement may be denied, as long as this is not part of the routine exclusion of prospective parents based on disabilities.” ( Perkins, 2014).

  
  

• Adoption for them is not impossible though, and many people with disabilities do quality to be adoptive parents, and are seen often as being great, capable parents.

In the photo above, we see a woman with disabilities, who adopted four children, some of them with disabilities as well. She loves and supports her happy, healthy family.

https://adoption.com/disabled-persons-can-adopt

The Adoption Act provides comprehensive information about adoption procedures, including those concerning indigenous children. It is divided into eight parts to outline the adoption process, covering placement for adoption, consents, custody, and guardianship. Additionally, the Act addresses court proceedings, interprovincial and intercountry adoptions, administrative and legal matters. It also includes provisions for offenses, penalties, and regulations (Adoption Act, 2023).

Adoption regulation offers detailed rules regarding adoption processes, covering areas such as placement for adoption, parents’ registry, court proceedings, openness and disclosure, as well as financial assistance and other assistance. This regulation also incorporates guidelines from the Hague convention on intercountry adoptions. Each section of adoption regulation specifies the corresponding act that the regulation adhere to, providing on the specific legal framework being followed (B.C. Reg,2023).

 Similarly, requirements for intercountry adoption must be also considered. Most international adoptions take place within the child's country of origin. Each nation has its own regulations and processes governing adoption by non-citizens. For instance, some countries allow adoptions outside the child's home nation, while others restrict adoptions to within their borders. Furthermore, not all nations permit international adoptions, but the intercountry adoption need to completed either out of Canada or within Canada (Intercountry Adoption,2024)

Medical requirements dictate that all adopted children must undergo a medical exam before they can become permanent residents. Sponsors are required to follow the rules set by their territory or agencies regarding how and when the medical exam should be conducted (Intercountry Adoption,2024).