Adoption Services
ADOPTION TODAY
Adoption is a legal and social process
which establishes a parent-child relationship, providing permanence
and security for the child.
Adoption has changed
over the years to reflect changing patterns in our society. Not
long ago, adoption was considered appropriate only for babies. Currently
the children available are from all age groups, some of them with
special needs.
Ontario's adoption rate
has declined over the past years for a number of reasons. It is
now socially acceptable for a young single mother to keep her baby
and more single parents are raising their own children. Also, the
birth rate is lower due to birth control measures and services which
help keep families together have improved.
Years ago, children
could be adopted with few formalities. Frequently, a child simply
took the adoptive family's name and lived as "one of the family".
In many ways this was unsatisfactory for both child and parent.
It provided little security for the child, whose legal rights and
past identity could easily become lost. As well, the adopting parents'
relationship with the child remained unprotected and could be disrupted.
Adoption today is a
well structured, legally binding procedure. The Child and Family
Services Act (CFSA) details the legal process of adoption in the
province. The intent of this legislation is to protect the rights
of every party involved in an adoption.
Children may become
available for adoption in Ontario through one of three ways:
-
Under the CFSA,
and order of Crown Wardship is made that specifies no access
to the birth family;
-
By consent of the
child's birth mother and any other person who has parent status
according to the statutory definition; or
-
By order or other
recognized release for adoption under the laws of another province
or country.
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