Adoption Options
Public Adoption
Public Adoption happens through Children's Aid Societies in Ontario. CAS facilitates the matching of children who are wards of the Society with approved prospective families. Parents typically work directly with the Society.
Private Adoption
Private Adoptions in Canada happen through private agencies that work with the birth parents in order to assist them in choosing the most appropriate family for their child. Often private adoptions have some degree of openness with the birth family.
International Adoption
International Adoption happens when a Canadian resident decides to adopt a child from another country. There are strict rules and agreements in placed between Canada and participating countries regarding which countries Canadians can adopt from.
You've decided to adopt! Your next steps include completing a S.A.F.E. home-study and P.R.I.D.E. training. They are often done in tandem so that information you learn can be discussed with the assessor, and included in the report.
S.A.F.E. (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) assessment: The SAFE assessment is a Ministry-required standardized home-study used by all Ontario adoption practitioners. The report is intended to explore your reasons for adopting, and the assessor assists in determining your readiness and suitability to adopt.
The home-study is a comprehensive report that explores, in part, your childhood, relationships, and lifestyle, and may touch on issues that are sensitive or personal. The assessment is comprised of an initial 2 hour consultation to review the adoption options in Ontario, and what each process entails. There are a minimum of 4 subsequent interviews of approximately 2 hours each, and there is a home safety check; at least one interview must be done within your home. Interviews can be done with both parties together, but one interview will be done individually. Children in the home will also be interviewed, and adult children will be contacted for input. The home-study is supported by documentation such as financial and medical reports, references, pet vaccinations, and Police and child welfare checks.
Timelines vary for completing a S.A.F.E. assessment. While It is possible to complete a home-study in 4-5 months, this is not guaranteed and may take longer if there are complex issues, subsequent interviews required, or there are delays in obtaining supporting documentation.
The practitioner reviews topics covered in P.R.I.D.E. such as discipline, openness and loss, and ensures you have a good understanding of the issues and complexities of adoption. The practitioner also assists in determining your preparedness and suitability to adopt. Once completed, the S.A.F.E. assessment is portable and you can transfer it between private, international and domestic agencies.
P.R.I.D.E. (Parent Resources for Information Development and Education) is a mandatory 27-hour education training program to prepare adoptive, kinship and foster parents to meet a child's needs. P.R.I.D.E. is usually done concurrently with the S.A.F.E. home-study.
Trainings are typically offered in either nine modules or over a weekend. Topics include grief, loss, abuse, openness, discipline, placement challenges, developmental issues, family relationships, and maintaining a child's cultural identity.
Domestic adoption applicants may be eligible for trainings through their local Children's Aid Society or Family and Children's Services. There is a fee for private and international adoption applicants. A list of trainings can be found at www.adoptontario.ca.