How to Adopt a Child from Another Country
The Process for Canadians to Follow for an International Adoption
Nov 11, 2008
Although choosing to adopt a child from overseas can be a complex, challenging and costly process, it is still a popular option for forming a family for many Canadians. Close to 2000 international adoptions take place in Canada each year, with the majority of those being families in Quebec and Ontario.
How to Begin the Adoption Process
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, there are two separate processes Canadians must follow for foreign adoptions. First, there is the adoption process which means meeting all the adoption requirements of the province in which the parents live and also those of the child’s home country. Second, the immigration or citizenship process needs to take place. For questions or further information regarding the process for each respective province, contact the provincial adoption authorities
After weighing the pros and cons and the decision to proceed with a foreign adoption has been reached, the future adoptive parents need to contact an international adoption agency that specializes in the country from which they would like to adopt.
The countries that Canadian international adoption agencies work with include India, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, China, Korea, Ethiopia, Zambia and Haiti among others.
Steps for an International Adoption in Canada
Although each country has individual requirements and systems, the basic process is as follows:
- Ask for information packages from the Canadian international adoption agencies that work in the selected country and attend their information sessions.
- Attend adoption training sessions such as PRIDE (Parent Resource for Information Development and Education) in Ontario.
- Have a homestudy completed by a licensed practitioner. Depending on the province or territory homestudies may take six months to a year to complete.
- Prepare a dossier of necessary information which includes birth and marriage certificates, employment and financial details, health records, letters of reference, security checks, and agency forms.
- Have the dossier translated, notarized, legalized by External Affairs and authenticated by the Embassy of the chosen country, by sending all the documents to the adoption agency.
- Send the processed dossier to adoption authorities in the chosen country.
- Complete the immigration forms in order to sponsor the child to come to Canada.
- Get the necessary immunizations for travel to the child’s country.
- Receive a “referral” of a child from the agency. A referral usually includes a photo of the child and a medical report from a doctor who is Canadian government approved.
- Write a letter to the country of origin indicating willingness to adopt the child.
- Wait for notice to travel to the child’s birth country from the adoption authorities.
- Make travel arrangements and process travel visa.
- Travel to the country to pick-up the child.
- Finalize the adoption process in the child’s birth country.
- Process the immigration paperwork.
- Travel back to Canada with the child.
- Have post-placement visits with an adoption practitioner as per requirements of the adoption agency.
- Apply for a birth certificate and receive an adoption order from provincial court once the post-placement process is complete.
Adopting a child from another country can be a lengthy process that may present challenges due to translation, overlooked paperwork and changing policies. However, the process is all worthwhile if it means bringing home a long hoped for child. For more information on other adoption options read How to Adopt a Child Through Government Agencies.
References
Citizenship and Immigration Canada website
CanadaAdopts website
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