Reaching out and providing a child with a home is one of the most challenging things a family can do. With that in mind, it is important to avoid some of the pitfalls in what is often a lengthy and complex process. Adopting a child from another country can be a rewarding or very challenging experience. Other countries may have legal or ethical issues about their adoption system, ranging from concerns about medical documentation to illegal trafficking and child abduction. If you want more information about adopting a child internationally, please read the information below, and contact a licensed adoption agency.

Inter-country Adoption Alerts

Some countries do not govern their adoption process as carefully as Canada. These alerts inform families of the closure of adoptions and suspect adoption practices in other countries.

India Alert effective March 17, 2006
Viet Nam Adoption Alert !
Azerbaijan Alert !
Sarawak Adoption Alert !
Cambodia Adoption Alert !
Guatemala Adoption Alert !
Romania Adoption Alert !
Camp-to-Adopt Alert !
Republic of Georgia Alert !

Country Information

Tsunami Disaster in Asia
Adopting from the Philippines !
Ukraine's Adoption Authority!

Resources
The International Resource Centre for the Protection of Children in Adoption
The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption

Bringing a Child to British Columbia for the Purpose of Adoption

The Adoption Act sets out several requirements to be met before a child is brought from another province or country.

If you intend to bring a child to British Columbia for adoption, it is very important that you inform an adoption agency or the Ministry of Children and Family Development as soon as possible of your intention so there are no delays in planning for the child. Before the child comes to British Columbia, the ministry and the adoption agency must be satisfied that:

• the birth parents have received information about adoption and alternatives to adoption from a local licensed or accredited child welfare authority where they live
  
• you have received information about the medical and social history of the child and the parents
  
• the necessary notice has been given and consents to adoption have been obtained according to the laws of the jurisdiction where the child is living
  
• you have a homestudy which approves you for adopting a child who matches the child to be adopted
  
• the necessary consents to adoption have been obtained, and
  
• you have given notice of the proposed adoption to anyone named by the birth mother as the child's birth father and to anyone who is registered as the child's father on the Birth Father Registry.
  

If the child lives outside Canada, immigration authorities make the final decision if he or she will be allowed to enter the country. The information and links below provide more information on inter-country adoption.

Making Children Safer - The Hague Convention

In an effort to make inter-country adoption a safer and more secure process, many countries have signed the Hague Convention, which lays out guidelines to govern adoption processes in these countries and protect both adopted children and adoptive families. Both Hague Convention adoptions and non-Hague Convention adoptions are carried out by a licensed adoption agency.

Hague Convention Adoptions
Adoptions between families and children who are both in countries belonging to the Hague Convention have significant safeguards to protect both parties. Steps that adoptive parents undergo are detailed home studies of the adoptive family, immigration controls and visa arrangements.

Non-Hague Convention Adoptions
Adoptions that take place between Canada and countries that have not ratified the Hague Convention have similar steps that take place but lack the assurances of Hague Convention adoptions.

New Procedures for Inter-county Adoption

Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Case Processing Centre in Mississauga will be providing a list of British Columbia licensed adoption agencies to all prospective adoptive parents from British Columbia who are making a sponsorship application. The licensed agency then will assist prospective adoptive parent(s) or adoptive parent(s) to determine the applicable Fact Sheet and provide the services necessary to comply with the requirements.

The Office of the Director of Adoption in the Ministry of Children and Family Development will no longer correspond directly to each applicant after receiving a request from Case Processing Centre in Mississauga. After a licensed adoption agency notifies the Director of Adoption that the sponsorship applicant has met all the requirements, the Director will issue a statement of no objection, or a letter approving the adoption if the child’s country of origin is party to the Hague Convention.

If there are any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact Tamara Leonard-Vail at 250-387-3660.

Fact Sheets for Inter-country Adoption

The Intercountry Fact Sheets have been revised. Recent changes to the Immigration Regulations require most prospective adoptive parents intending to or who have already completed an inter-country adoption to have an approved home study. In addition, the Adoption Act requires a homestudy for those intending to bring a child to British Columbia for adoption.

Please Note: The above requirement does not apply to prospective adoptive parents who are relatives or co-parents of the child to be adopted in British Columbia.

To have a homestudy done, and for assistance in the intercountry adoption process, please contact a British Columbia licensed adoption agency.