About private adoption

A private domestic adoption is an adoption that is facilitated by either a:

If you are interested in adopting a child, you need a private adoption practitioner who will:

  • conduct a homestudy to assess your skills and readiness to raise an adopted child
  • supervise all private adoption placements

Keep in mind that there are relatively few children available for private adoption compared to the number of families seeking to adopt.

Cost

Adoption licensees charge fees for their services, generally $15,000-$30,000. There are additional fees for a homestudy assessment and parent training programs.

Time to complete the process

The time it takes to complete the adoption process varies depending on how long it takes:

  • to complete a homestudy assessment
  • to match a child with a prospective adoptive family
  • for the child and adoptive family to adjust during the adoption placement period

Open adoptions

In some situations, it may be in the best interest of a child who is being adopted to keep in contact with:

  • their birth parents
  • someone with whom the child has a meaningful relationship

This is called an open adoption.

You can arrange an open adoption for a private adoption if you and the birth parents (and/or other persons with whom the child has a meaningful relationship) agree to this through an openness agreement.

Openness agreements vary. An open adoption does not necessarily mean having visits. It allows some form of contact between:

  • the child
  • the child’s new family
  • agreed upon people from the child's past

Adoption process

It is an offence under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, for anyone other than a children’s aid society or adoption licensee to place a child for adoption in Ontario.

Step 1: Gather information

To get information about the homestudy process, contact a private adoption practitioner.

To get information about the private domestic adoption process, contact a licensed individual or a licensed adoption agency.

Step 2: Hire a private adoption practitioner

You must hire a private adoption practitioner. The adoption practitioner will help guide you through the two steps of the approval process - a homestudy and adoption preparation.

Your adoption practitioner will recommend you as eligible to adopt once you successfully complete those steps.

Homestudy

Complete a homestudy, which is mandatory and consists of four to six interviews over four to six months.

The Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) homestudy determines whether adoption is a plan that will meet both the needs of the child to be adopted and the needs of the prospective adoptive parents by:

identifying your skills and readiness to raise an adopted child

  • assessing your home environment
  • helping you understand what is involved in becoming an adoptive parent
  • helping you understand what is involved in raising an adopted child
  • Once the homestudy is complete, the adoption practitioner will send it to one or more private adoption agencies. These licensees will present it to birth parents who are seeking to place their children through private domestic adoption.

Mandatory training

You must complete mandatory training as part of the homestudy assessment. The Parent Resources for Information and Development and Education (PRIDE) program is a 27-hour curriculum to help you prepare for raising an adopted child. It can be completed at the same time as your homestudy.

Learn about the PRIDE program and the topics that you will cover.

Step 3: Finding a match

Your adoption agency or licensee may contact you about a proposed match.

Networking

Consider networking using websites where you can post your profile for private adoption, such as:

Birth parents and adoptive parents who reside in Canada can use these websites. Birth parents who reside outside of Canada and are seeking to place their child with people in Canada cannot use these sites.

Birth parents who are seeking to place their child for adoption may review your profile and may select you as someone they want to adopt their child. You’ll receive a proposal from the birth parent(s) through your adoption licensee.

If birth parents approach you directly, you must notify your adoption licensee as soon as possible.

Step 4: Being matched

Consider the child proposal

An adoptive family is chosen by the birth parent. If a birth parent chooses you, you will have a meeting with your adoption practitioner to discuss the child proposal being presented for your consideration, including the social and medical histories of the birth parents.

Create the adoption plan

You will meet with a combination of:

  • your adoption practitioner
  • a birth parent counsellor
  • the adoption licensee
  • the birth parents, if they choose to join

You will discuss the adoption plan and placement of the child. If it will be an open adoption, you all will also decide the frequency and type of contact.

Consent

If the birth parents agree to place the child with you, you will be contacted by your adoption agency or licensee.

The child may be placed with you directly from the hospital or after they have left the hospital. A child must be at least seven days old before the birth parents can consent to the adoption.

Placement

The ministry must approve the proposed adoption plan before the child is placed with you.

A birth parent has 21 days after they have consented to the adoption to change their mind about the adoption. If the birth parent changes their mind, the adoption licensee will return the child to their birth parents.

Adjustment period

Your adoption practitioner must make at least three visits during the first six months to see how your family is adjusting. The adoption practitioner will complete a report on how the child is adjusting and the adoption licensee will submit the report for the ministry to review and approve.

Step 5: Finalize the adoption

The adoption licensee makes an application to an Ontario court to finalize the adoption.

A judge issues an adoption order making you the legal parent of your adopted child.