5. Get approved and find a match
Question & Answer
How do I adopt a child in Ontario?To be approved to adopt a child, you must complete the parenting training course and for every type of adoption except for a family adoption, where the child being adopted also lives in Ontario.
Once you are approved, you work with the adoption worker or your adoption worker or agency to find a match.
When a match is found, you are usually given the social and medical history of the child and their birth family. You get some time to think about going through with the adoption or not.
If you decide to take the next step, the child makes several visits to your home. These visits allow the child to get to know your family and your home before moving into your home. These visits are called pre-placement visits.
Once the child is officially placed in your home, an adoption probation period begins. This period is to make sure that both, your family and the child, are happy together before the adoption becomes final.
The adoption worker visits your home regularly during the probationary period. They support you and see how the child and you are adjusting. Usually, the probationary period lasts 6 months, but it can be longer. At the end, the adoption worker writes a report.
After the Ministry of Children and Youth Services approves the adoption worker's report, the adoption is usually finalized in an Ontario court. You then become the legal parent of your adoptive child.
Family adoption
In a family adoption, if the child lives in Ontario, the court holds a hearing to decide if it will allow you to adopt. You get notice of the hearing.
If the birth parents have already given their consent to the adoption or if the court has decided that their consent is not needed, they do not get notice of the hearing.
