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In Ontario, public adoptions
are conducted through the Children's Aid Society (CAS). There
are 53 independent Children's Aid Societies in the province
and services are provided at no charge (their funding is part
of the Ontario budget). All Children's Aid Societies are governed
by the same provincial legislation, but their delivery of
service varies as they are independent organizations governed
by local boards and local policies.
Prospective adoptive parents
who wish to adopt through a Children's Aid Society must apply
to the agency that covers the geographical area in which they
live (since funding is intended to service people in that
area). Depending on the agency, some CAS offices may consider
adoptive families outside of their geographical area who have
had home studies completed by other CAS agencies or private
adoption practitioners.
PRIDE Education Program
In Ontario, prospective adoptive
parents are now required to attend an education program called
PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education).
This nine session course, which amounts to 27 hours of training,
is offered by the Children's Aid Society and through some
private agencies and trainers. Ideally, the applicant's participation
in a PRIDE training program should be concurrent with the
completion of their SAFE home study.
PRIDE's curriculum offers adoptive
parents the information that will help prepare them for the
responsibilities involved in raising their children and incorporate
information about the following:
- Adoption and child welfare systems, processes
and laws
- Attachment as a central issue in all
adoptions
- Loss issues in adoption
- Impact of adoption on your own family
- Child development, child management and
an overview of issues specific to the needs of adopted children
- The effects of neglect, lack of stimulation,
abuse, institutionalization on children
- Identity formation and the importance
of cultural and racial awareness
- The importance of connections and continuity
for children
The
SAFE Home study
All Children's Aid Societies
and private adoption agencies in Ontario must now use the
recently implemented Structured Analysis Family Evaluation
[SAFE] home study format. This type of home study was designed
to evaluate families for adoption, foster care licensure,
concurrent planning, and relative placement.
A social worker from CAS will
meet with you and your family over the course of several months
and during these interviews, a number of topics will be explored.
Such issues will include:
- Your family's motivation for adopting
and understanding of adoption's life long issues
- Your strengths and limitations
in parenting styles/attitudes
- The stability of your relationships
(with partners, family, friends) and sources of support.
- Your financial and employment situation,
health status, lifestyle, home and neighbourhood environments,
interests and hobbies
- Your understanding of open and
closed adoption and their implications
- The age, ethnicity, health status
and other characteristics of children that would best match
the applicants.
- Your understanding of sharing adoption
information with the child
You will also be required to complete
a number of forms and questionnaires including the following:
- Medical reports (completed by
you and your family doctor)
- Proof of marriage, if applicable
- Police clearance reports
- Child welfare record checks
- Home safety checks
- Letters of reference from family,
friends
- A financial statement
The SAFE home study is focused
on a family's strengths and a respectful evaluation process
while keeping in mind that the agency's most important duty
is to protect the best interests of the children in care.
* Most prospective adoptive
and foster families find the home study process intimidating
and intrusive. Social workers and agencies do not expect families
to be perfect; they are looking for people who have certain
strengths and those who have successfully and proactively
overcome life's challenges.
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