FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We know you will have many questions and look forward to discussing your options with you further, but here are some of the frequently asked questions and answers you may be wondering about:
The adoption isn’t official until it is granted in court. This happens about 6 months after placement. You will not have to attend court for an adoption order being granted in BC.
We work with birth mothers and birth fathers throughout the province. They vary in ethnic backgrounds and in age from their teens to their early 40’s. For some, this is their first child, and for others, they may be parenting already or have had other children. Some have a stable lifestyle and others may be experiencing a higher-risk lifestyle.
Every birth parent is different. They are often looking for a family who is stable and can provide a life for their baby that they currently are unable to provide. They often look for a connection to the potential adoptive family which may be a number of different things.
Birth parents who are making an adoption plan and are ready to choose a family will review your home study. Identifying information such as your last name, city/town, name of employer, etc. will not be shared. For Intercountry adoptions it will be seen by the Central Authority in the country you are adopting from.
In addition to the agency fees as listed in the information package, each country program has its own fees. Some programs have a set fee while others provide a range. Travel and accommodation are not included in the program fees. Other additional fees may be translation, notarizing, etc.
Review the adoption criteria for each country in our information package to determine what may be a good fit. You should also review the children available in each country to make sure it is fit for your family.
Absolutely not! We have contract adoption social workers for adoptive parents and birth parents all over the Province. We will find our social worker closest to you.
The vast majority of adoptions are open. The extent of openness is agreed on between the birth parents and adoptive parents.
This is a tough question to answer. With the domestic program, there is no typical time frame. Birth parents choose who they want to place with so families can be chosen quickly or the wait could be long. There is also not a guarantee of placement. For intercountry adoption, the wait times vary by country and can be unpredictable as circumstances may change.
On average it takes 4-5 months but can take longer depending on circumstances.
A birth father can sign legal consent to the adoption with a lawyer any time after baby is born. A birth mother can sign legal consent once baby is at least ten days old. There is no cost for this lawyer appointment to the birth parent. The Adoption Centre of BC will arrange this appointment for you and your birth parent counsellor can attend the appointment with you for your support.
In B.C., a birth mother can revoke her legal consent up to 30 days after the baby is born. A written revocation notice will need to be provided to the agency before the 30 days has passed. A birth father can not change his mind once he has signed legal consent for the adoption.
Yes, you can choose the name for your child’s Registration of Live Birth. The adoptive parents will also have an opportunity to choose a name for their child.
Yes, you can. Along with your birth parent counsellor, you will make a hospital plan which will include how much time you want to spend with baby at the hospital, if you want family or close friends to come to meet the baby, and when you want the adoptive parents to come to the hospital and take over care and custody of the baby.
Just like birth mothers, we ask that birth fathers provide as much social and medical information as they are willing to share. If he is not involved in the adoption plan, birth mothers can provide any information about him that she knows. The birth father may be unknown/unacknowledged.
All approved adoptive parents have completed a home study with a registered social worker which includes a number of interviews and home visits, a house tour, references, medicals, criminal record checks, child protection checks as well as education about adoption.
We ask that you provide as much social and medical information about yourself that you are willing to share. We will also ask you to consent for your doctor to provide prenatal medical information, as well as information about the labour and delivery.
There is no cost for birth parents. You will receive birth parent counselling and support from one of our birth parent counsellors nearest to you while making an adoption plan.
Many birth parents choose open adoption so that you can receive email updates and pictures as well as occasional visits with the adoptive parents and baby.
As the birth parent(s), you will choose the adoptive parents for your baby by reviewing profile books and home studies of approved waiting adoptive parents. You will read all about their history, current relationships, lifestyle, employment, etc.
