How to Adopt a Child

Under Ontario law, anyone who wants to adopt a child must be able to raise that child in a good and loving home.

There are certain steps you need to take to find out if you qualify. You will have to:

  1. have a homestudy completed, and
  2. complete a training course on parenting an adopted child. This course is called PRIDE (Parent Resource for Information Development and Education). This course is now mandatory for anyone wishing to adopt a child through a children's aid society or through private and international adoptions.

Adoption Resource Exchange Conference

The Ontario government has increased the number of Adoption Resource Exchange conferences to five per year across the province.

The conference is hosted by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. It helps locate and match adoptive families with Ontario children needing adoption.

The conference is open to anyone interested in adopting a child from Ontario. However, it is primarily for those who have already completed a homestudy assessment.

When available, conference dates and additional information will be posted here.

Read more.

Adoption Options

Public Adoption

You can adopt a child through a children's aid society. This is called public adoption.

Children are placed here for adoption because:

  • the birth parents have decided to let someone adopt their child, or
  • the Ontario Court has decided that the parents can't take care of the child.

Many of the children who are available are older children. Some may also have special needs.

Do I have to pay for a public adoption? There is no cost if you are adopting through a children's aid society. Contact your local Children's Aid Society for more information.

Private Adoption

Private adoptions happen when you use a private adoption agency to find a child.

Most of these children are under the age of six months. Often their parents are simply unable to raise their child. These parents have decided that adoption is the best option for their baby.

In Ontario, private adoptions are handled by individuals or agencies licensed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. These individuals and agencies provide:

  • counselling for birth parents before and after the baby's birth
  • support for adoptive parents before and after the adoption
  • help in completing paperwork and making sure it gets sent to the Ontario government, and
  • court and legal services.

How much does a private adoption cost? The adoption agency or individual will charge you a fee for its services. The cost of private adoption services can vary from about $10,000 to $20,000.

How do I adopt a child through a private adoption? Contact:

International Adoption

International adoption is the process you go through to adopt a child from another country. This also applies if you want to adopt a relative living in another country. This kind of adoption is very complex for a number of reasons.

  • You have to follow Ontario's adoption laws, Canada's immigration laws and the laws of the child's home country.
  • If the child's home country is a participant in the Hague Convention, there may be different requirements that you have to meet.
  • You must use an international adoption agency licensed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
  • Before you go to the child's country of origin, you have to have a homestudy completed and a Letter of Approval from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
  • Even with the Letter of Approval from the ministry, you need to know that this does not always mean that you will be able to adopt a child. The child's country has the final say in whether or not the adoption can proceed.

How much does it cost to adopt a child from another country?

Adopting a child from another country usually costs from about $20,000 to $30,000. In some cases, it can cost more.

How do I adopt a child through international adoption?

See also:

Adopting a family member

When can I adopt another family member?

  • You have remarried and want to adopt your step-child. This is called a step-parent adoption.
  • Someone in the family can no longer care for their child. You want to adopt that child. This is called a relative adoption. According to the legislation, a relative is a:
    • grandparent
    • uncle or great uncle
    • aunt or great aunt

You don't have to be related to the child by blood. For example, you could adopt a child of your spouse's sister.

How do I adopt a family member?

  • If you live in Ontario: If you, the birth parents and the child are all residents of Ontario, you apply to an Ontario Family Court. To find out how to do this, visit the Ontario Court Services website. Or, you can ask a lawyer to help you. You might also want to talk to an adoption practitioner or an adoption agency that is licensed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. These people are familiar with the steps for adopting a child.
  • If the child lives outside of Canada: If the child you want to adopt lives in another country, you have to following the same process that you follow for an international adoption.

What if you are related in a way that is different from the legal definition?

If you want to adopt an Ontario child who is related to you, but in a way that is different from the legal definition, you have to follow the same steps as all other adoptions:

 
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