Domestic Adoption

A domestic adoption means that both the adoptive parents and birth parents live in BC. Birth parents go through family profiles to select the family they feel will be the best match with the way they would like the child to be raised.

It is the responsibility of the adoptive applicants to advise The Adoption Centre of BC of any changes in their personal circumstances after approval such as: pregnancy, medical interventions to become pregnant, bankruptcy, separation or divorce, diagnosis of a physical or mental illness, criminal conviction, and/or change of employment to name a few.

Regardless of any change in circumstances, we require you to make contact with our office at minimal on a bimonthly basis in order to keep your profile active.

Profile Package

After your home study is complete, you make a profile package that includes:

• a cover sheet containing a photo and description of you
• a non identifying copy of your home study report
• a letter to birth parents (Dear Birthparent Letter)
• 3-4 photos sheets of you and your family depicting your lifestyle (8.5×11)
• Any identifying information such as addresses and surnames are NOT included.

We recommend that you package these profile documents in a folder. We require 5 profile package folders so that you are able to be viewed by more than one birthmother at a time.

We require that you update the Dear Birth mother lettter and the photos in your profile at minimal, on an annual basis to remain active. However, you can make updates to your profiles at any time.

 

Your profile will be shown to all birth parents who have selected characteristics that match your description. Some categories are:

• religion
• location within BC
• level of openness desired
• number of children, if any
• age
• marital status
• interests and hobbies

Matching

Birth parents choose families from the profiles. If you are selected by a birth parent you will:

• Receive her (or their) detailed medical and social history report(s)
• If you choose to proceed, issues of placement plans, openness agreements, etc, are dealt with through a mediation process.

Placement and Adoption

• In many cases (but not all!) the birth parent will place her child in your care in the few days following birth.
• You can expect a visit from your social worker shortly after placement to see how you are adjusting to parenthood.
• After the child has been in your home for 5 months a formal Post Placement Report can be done.
• Your social worker will arrange to see you in your home and then the report can be used as an official document to file for adoption.
• The process of filing for adoption involves both The Adoption Centre of British Columbia and your lawyer.
  

  Download: Domestic Adoption General Information Package (PDF)

 

To learn more about domestic adoption of low risk newborn children please read through this document Domestic Adoption for futher details.

The Adoption Centre of British Columbia has no influence over wait times as it is the birth parents who choose the family with whom to place their child.