There are three main types of adoption available in Alberta; Ward, Private, and International.
Calgary and Area Child and Family Services Authority is only directly involved in Ward adoptions with all others administered
by licensed private agencies.
Private Adoptions
A child who is not under the permanent guardianship of Calgary and Area Child and Family Services may be placed for
private adoption. Three types of private adoptions are available in Alberta:
- Licensed Adoption Agency Placements
- Direct Placements
- Spousal (step-parent) or Relative Adoptions
Agencies help connect birth parents, children and adoptive parents for everyone's
benefit. They are licensed and monitored by the Ministry of Children's Services and must
comply with all requirements set out in the Child Welfare Act and
Regulations. Agencies profile available homes and help the birth parent
choose an appropriate family for the child. Agencies also prepare the Court
documents and may charge the adoptive applicants a fee for services.
Ministry of Children's Services licenses non-profit adoption agencies which must comply with all requirements
outlined in the Child Welfare Act and Regulations and must make counseling services
available to birth and adoptive parents.
Direct Placements
A parent wanting to place their child for adoption may make a direct placement
with a family they know. The birth parent and prospective adoptive parents must
notify the Ministry of Children's Services about the placement. A licensed agency chosen by the adoptive parents
processes the paperwork, completes the home assessment and prepares all the
Court documents. The agency may charge the adoptive applicant a fee for services.
It is illegal to give or receive payment or reward for placing a child for adoption,
or to assist with an adoption placement without either a license or special
permission from the Ministry of Children's Services.
Spousal and Relative Adoptions
If one of the child's parents wants their spouse to share parental responsibility
by adopting, that spouse must directly petition the Court. If a person wants
to adopt a grandchild, niece, nephew, great niece or great nephew, that person
may also directly petition the Court. The Ministry of Children's Services has developed a self-help kit that
allows a petitioner to prepare the Court documents without a lawyer. These are
available from the Queen's Printer Bookstore for a fee. After the Court is petitioned,
the Ministry of Children's Services receives notice about the hearing and reviews its records to determine whether
it has a child protection concern about the petitioner. The judge may require
the petitioner to obtain a home assessment report, which the person can obtain
from a licensed agency.
International Adoptions
The Ministry of Children's Services assists people who want to adopt children from other countries by providing
information, advice and the documentation needed by Citizenship and Immigration
Canada (CIC) as well as other national governments. If needed, reports and home assessments
for applicants are completed at their expense by licensed agencies on behalf
of the Ministry of Children's Services. If the child is a ward of another country, the adoptive family must
meet the adoption requirements of Alberta and the other country. The adoption
order may be granted in Alberta or in the child's country.
If the child is not a ward of the other country, the Ministry of Children's Services does not get involved
with the adoption process. The adoptive parents must make all arrangements and
the adoption order must be granted in the other country. Once the adoptive parents
supply a translated copy (if required) of the order, the Ministry of Children's Services will provide the letter
of "No Involvement" that CIC requires to allow the child into Canada.
To find out more information regarding International Ward Adoptions contact:
Anne Scully, Manager
Alberta Ministry of Children's Services
11th Floor, 9940 - 106 Street
Edmonton, AB T5K 2N2
Phone (780) 422-0178
Fax (780) 427-2048
Email Anne.Scully@fss.gov.ab.ca
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