Adoption Services

What is Adoption?

Children need to have roots.  They need to feel a sense of belonging to a permanent family who cares for them. Once all other plans or options are explored, children who are in the care of a Children’s Aid Society may become legally available for adoption. In other cases, parents may choose to make an adoption plan for their child(ren).

Adoption is the legal process that gives children a new family when their birth families are unable to care for them.  It is intended to provide acceptance, stability and lifelong security that comes from being a part of a permanent home. In Ontario, there are three ways in which you can adopt:
• Children’s Aid Society (public child welfare system)
• Private  (private adoption agency)
• International (inter-country adoption agency)

Who can adopt?

People wanting to adopt understand the importance of providing children with a safe, loving and nurturing environment – a home where children can reach their full potential.
Adoptive parents can be individuals or couples, unable to have children of their own or wanting to add more to their growing family, or those whose first choice for building a family is through adoption.  The Children’s Aid Society of Brant welcomes and encourages people from diverse backgrounds or life experiences to apply.  We also welcome and strongly encourage those who wish to parent special needs children, sibling groups or older children (3 years and up) as well as those who are willing to consider some form of an open adoption.

How do I adopt?

To find out if adoption is right for you, contact The Children’s Aid Society of Brant – Adoption Services/Unit.  By working together, a decision can be made about whether adoption is the right plan for you as well as the kind of child or children you could parent.

The process for adopting a child is one that is carefully planned with the child’s well-being first and foremost.   Applicants will undergo a home study process that evaluates the capacity for adoptive parenthood as well as allows applicants to assess their own abilities and attitudes. Training and education is offered and required to ensure the adoption process is successful.

Adoption placements are based on the child’s needs, so the waiting time to adopt depends on the best possible match for the child and the approved waiting adoptive home.

Once a match is decided, there is time to allow the child(ren) to get to know their new adoptive parent(s) and surroundings before actually moving into the home. By law, there is a six months or more adjustment period before the adoption can proceed to be completed. A lot depends on the needs of the child(ren) and the adoptive parent(s) and allows time to work out any problems that might arise.
 
Who are the children?

Typically, the children available for adoption in Ontario or Brant County range in age from toddlers to teens and come from diverse backgrounds.  Some are siblings needing a family who can keep them together.  Some have birth siblings that cannot be placed together but need to maintain their relationship or a connection through openness. Others are special needs children with health, emotional or cognitive challenges who require parents willing to learn the skills to care for them, to advocate and to commit for a lifetime.  Some have meaningful relationships with members of their biological family, foster parents or others which require parents to be willing and open to maintaining  periodic contact with these connections.

For more information on adoption, please contact:
                         The Adoption Unit at Brant CAS  

Listed below are some other helpful links to resources to learn more about the adoption process and journey.

• AdoptOntario – www.adoptontario.ca
• The Adoption Council of Ontario -  www.adoption.on.ca
• Ministry of Children and Youth Services – www.children.gov.on.ca
• Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies – www.oacas.org

Adoption Disclosure Services

The Children’s Aid Society of Brant will provide non identifying information from our  records to adult adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents, birth grandparents, birth siblings, birth aunts and uncles and adult children of deceased adopted persons.  Other adoption disclosure services include medical searches and responding to requests from Service Ontario/Adoption Disclosure Register.

For further details about current adoption information disclosure please contact Service Ontario at www.serviceontario.ca (scroll down to Adoption Information Disclosure) or call (416) 325 – 8305 or toll free at 1-800-461-2156.

All inquiries or assistance with adoption disclosure can be directed to:

                        The adoption unit at Brant CAS