Adoption
Who can adopt in Saskatchewan?
What adoption programs does the Department
of Community Resources and Employment (DCRE) offer?
What does open adoption mean?
What are the benefits of open adoption?
How does the adoption process begin?
What is the homestudy report?
How long does it take to adopt a child?
When does an adoption become legal?
How much does a domestic adoption cost
What about other adoption options?
Does Saskatchewan have adoption reunion services?
What do post adoption services include and
who may obtain them?
Is there a fee for post adoption services?
How do you start a search for an adoptee
or a birth parent?
What if you don't want contact with a birth
parent or an adoptee, but would like to know if they are looking
for you?
Can an adopted person or the birth parent
of an adopted person obtain the adoptee's original birth registration?
Can an adopted person receive a copy of the
adoption order?
Can a birth parent receive a copy of documents
they signed prior to placing their child for adoption?
What if an adopted person or a birth parent
does not want a certified copy of the original birth registration
of the adopted adult released?
What if a birth parent or an adopted adult
does not want any identifying information released?
Who
can adopt in Saskatchewan?
You must be a Saskatchewan resident, unless the court has waived
residency requirements. Married adults jointly; an unmarried adult;
or any other person or persons that the court may allow, having
regard to the best interests of the child, may make application
to the court for an order of adoption.
What
adoption programs does the Department of Saskatchewan Community
Resources and Employment (DCRE) Offer?
Domestic Adoption
Domestic adoption refers to the adoption of a child who is permanently
in the care of the Minister of Community Resources and Employment.
Birth parents may complete a voluntary committal shortly after
the birth of their child or children may be apprehended and made
permanent wards by the court. These children may be infants, or
older children and include those who may have special needs including
physical health issues or intellectual impairment. Children who
are permanently committed to the care of the Minister of Community
Resources and Employment may be adopted if they are legally free
for adoption and adoption is considered the best lifeplan for
them. These children are matched with potential adoptive parents
who have had a homestudy report completed. Processing the adoption
through court is done by DCRE.
Assisted Adoption
The Assisted Adoption Program may provide assistance to adoptive
families who are interested in the challenge of parenting children
who have special needs and are in the care of the Minister of
Community Resources and Employment prior to adoption. This program
is discussed with families pursuing adoption of children with
special needs.
Intercountry Adoption
Residents of Saskatchewan who wish to adopt a child from another
country must make an application to DCRE and meet the requirements
for intercountry adoption. A guide
for those who wish to adopt a child from another country is available
on this website.
What
does open adoption mean?
In the past, people thought it was best that adoption be kept secret.
Although it is still a private matter today, the majority of birth
parents who make an adoption decision for their infant request adoptive
parents who are prepared to provide some ongoing communication or
contact. Birth parents and adoptive parents decide on the amount
and type of communication and/or contact they will have. Each adoption
is negotiated to meet the needs of birth parents, adoptive parents,
and the child and may include:
- birth and adoptive parents deciding to meet but not giving identifying
information about themselves;
- birth and adoptive parents meeting and exchanging identifying
information;
- birth parents requesting adoptive parents be present at the
birth of the baby; and
- birth parents and adoptive parents exchanging letters, and sometimes
pictures, either through DCRE or directly.
What are
the benefits of open adoption?
Birth parents involved in planning adoption for their child want
to be reassured the adoption plan they make is the best one possible.
Increasingly, adoptive parents are appreciating the many benefits
to the child when birth parents have an active role in choosing
adoptive parents and there is the opportunity to develop a relationship
and have some form of ongoing contact.
Open adoption is about maintaining some communication between the
child and the birth and adoptive parents. It is a way for the birth
parents to tell their child that they are loved and will always
be loved by their birth parents, as well as their adoptive parents.
Open adoption can also help assure birth parents they made a good
decision in planning adoption for their child. Birth parents report
it is helpful in resolving the feelings of grief and loss they experience.
Receiving communication by letter, or in person, from the birth
parent, can be reassuring to the adoptive parents. Many adoptive
parents report that such contact puts them in a more confident position
to answer a childs questions about their family of origin.
Successful open adoption depends on matching adoptive parents and
birth parents who are committed to the agreement they mutually negotiate.
How does the adoption process begin?
If you are interested in adopting a child and are a Saskatchewan
resident the first thing to do is contact your local DCRE
office. An adoption caseworker will arrange an appointment to
discuss your situation with you and help you determine which adoption
programs you may wish to apply for. Once you have completed an application
form, it will be registered on a provincial waiting list. Time on
the waiting list varies depending on a number of factors including
the number of children for whom adoption is sought and the number
of approved adoptive parents waiting.
What is
the homestudy report?
The homestudy report is a consolidation of information and insight
from various sources on the ability of the applicants to parent
an adopted child. The homestudy process involves a series of interviews
between yourself and your adoption worker. The homestudy process
gives you an opportunity to prepare for adoption and gives your
worker a chance to get to know you. A homestudy usually takes
three to six months and includes references, a physicians
medical report and a criminal record check. To ensure homestudy
reports reflect current information an update is required every
two years.
After the homestudy has been completed, it is registered at the
Central Adoption Registry. When birth parents make an adoption plan,
their request includes the criteria they want in an adoptive family.
Their request is registered centrally and then matched to the range
of acceptance of several prospective adoptive parents. Birth parents
are given the opportunity to consider several adoption homestudies
that may meet the expectations they have for prospective adoptive
parents of their child.
How long does it
take to adopt a child?
This is a difficult question to answer, because each adoption application
is different. Factors which affect the waiting period include:
- how open a relationship you are willing to have with birth
parents;
- the age of child and specific factors in the child's health,
social background and current circumstances you are able to
accept;
- the number of children for whom adoption is being planned
at any given time.
When does an adoption
become legal?
When the adoption order is signed by the judge,
you become the child's legal parent. Typically, it takes no more
than one year, from the time the child joins your family, for an
adoption to become final. Generally, an infant adoption is finalized
three to six months after the infant is placed in your home. When
the adoption placement involves an older child there is a longer
adjustment period. Once the child and the adoptive parents have
had an opportunity to get to know one another, and feel comfortable
with one another, an application is made to court for the final
adoption order.
How much does a domestic adoption cost?
DCRE does not charge any registration or homestudy
fees for a domestic adoption. There may be costs for certain documents,
medical reports, criminal record checks as well as travel or accommodation
if required.
What about other adoption options?
Independent Adoption
Birth parents may make arrangements with someone they know, to
adopt their child. A homestudy is conducted by an independent practitioner,
approved by DCRE. An independent adoption is usually processed through
the court with the help of a lawyer.
Step-parent Adoption
An individual may, with the consent of his or her spouse, apply
to the court to adopt a child of that spouse if the child is either
living with them or being cared for by them. Step-parent adoptions
are processed with the help of a lawyer.
Adult Adoption
A person who is 18 years of age or older, may be adopted if he/she
consents and the court considers the reason for the adoption acceptable.
Adult adoptions are processed with the help of a lawyer.
Does Saskatchewan have adoption
reunion services?
Yes. DCRE is required, by law, to maintain
records of all adoptions finalized in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan
Post Adoption Registry was established in 1982. Since then it has
handled hundreds of requests for information, or contact, from those
involved in the adoption process. The Post Adoption Registry is
located at 1920 Broad Street, Regina, SK, S4P 3V6; telephone: (306)787-3654
or 1-800-667-7539 (toll free in Canada).
What do post adoption services include
and who may obtain them?
In Saskatchewan post adoption services provide
for the disclosure of information following legal adoptions that
were finalized in Saskatchewan. Services include: release of non-identifying
background information; copies of legal documents; search and reunion
services; and a passive registry. DCRE will provide information
and search services upon request for: adults who were adopted as
children; birth parents, including birth fathers in some circumstances;
birth family members; and adoptive parents of minor adoptees. Adoptions
must have been finalized in Saskatchewan.
For more information contact:
Post Adoption Registry
1920 Broad Street
Regina, SK S4P 3V6
(306)787-3654 or 1-800-667-7539
Is there a fee for post adoption services?
There is a fee for documents, registration,
search and contact services, but not for non-identifying, background
information. The fees are as follows:
- Non-identifying background information -- No Fee
- Certified copy of document -- $15.00
- Certified copy of original birth certificate -- $25.00
- Registration for contact -- $35.00
- Search and contact -- $265.00
- In all situations, if the party being sought has informed the
Post Adoption Program of his/her current address and interest
in contact, the request will be considered mutual.
- Contact by mutual request -- $90.00
- Search and contact with second and subsequent family member(s)
-- $175.00
- Search for a person to determine their consent to release a
certified copy of original birth registration -- $175.00
NOTE: A special fee schedule is
available for persons eligible for benefits under the Saskatchewan
Assistance Plan; or legislation under which financial supports are
provided in any other province or by the Government of Canada through
the Employment Insurance Act; or for persons attending a
formal educational program full-time. Also, The Adoption Regulations
provide for Ministerial discretion to waive fees: for example, in
cases of serious medical circumstances.
If you are unable to pay the required fee, you may ask to be income
tested to see if you qualify for the reduced rates. A cheque or
money order is made payable to the Minister of Finance.
How do you start a search for an
adoptee or a birth parent?
Birth parents, adoptive parents, and adults
who were adopted as a child, may request search and contact services.
DCRE will initiate a search for an adoptee, or a birth parent, upon
receiving a written request from either party. Each request is placed
on a waiting list. Through discrete enquiries, staff determine if
the other party would agree to being contacted. Identifying information
is released only with consent of both parties.
What if you don't want contact
with a birth parent or an adoptee, but would like to know if they
are looking for you?
You may register, in writing, your willingness
to exchange information or to have contact. A reunion may occur
only if both parties register. No search is conducted - contact
is by mutual request. Requests for contact with birth family members
require consent of the birth parent.
Can an adopted person or the birth
parent of an adopted person obtain the adoptee's original birth
registration?
Yes. An adopted person, or a birth parent
may request a certified copy of an adopted adult's original birth
registration. The birth registration contains identifying information.
If adoption placement occurred prior to April 1, 1997 the written
consent of the birth parent and the adopted adult are required.
A search may be required to obtain a consent of one of the parties.
If adoption placement occurred after April 1, 1997 a certified copy
of the adopted adult's original birth registration may be released
to the birth parent or the adopted adult without the consent of
any other party, unless either party has registered a veto forbidding
the release of the document.
Can an adopted person receive a copy
of the adoption order?
Yes.
Can a birth parent receive a
copy of documents they signed prior to placing their child for adoption?
Birth parents can obtain copies of the
consent documents they signed when their child was placed for adoption.
What if an adopted person or a
birth parent does not want a certified copy of the original birth
registration of the adopted adult released?
An adopted person (as soon as possible after
reaching 18 years of age) or a birth parent may register a veto,
in writing, indicating that they forbid the release of the certified
copy of the adopted adult's original birth registration.
What if a birth parent or an adopted
adult does not want any identifying information released?
Either party can send a written statement to
the post adoption registry forbidding the release of any identifying
information. No identifying information will be released unless
the post adoption registry receives written permission.
Adoption Links
Adoption Council
of Canada
Saskatchewan
Adoption Support Centre
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