International or "Inter-country" Adoption

Saskatchewan Social Services is responsible for child welfare in the province, and oversees all adoptions in the province. Social Services approves international or 'inter-country' child placements based on the home study report, supporting documents and recommendations by an adoption worker. The agency also ensures that the proposed adoption is in accordance with both the laws in Saskatchewan, federal immigration laws, the Hague Convention, and the child's country of origin. Other services include arranging the placement of the child and may provide other services for adoptive parents before, during and after the adoption.

Adoption workers on staff at Social Services work with prospective adoptive parents as they move through the adoption process. The Minister of Social Services is the Central Authority under the Hague Convention, and is responsible for accrediting individuals in Saskatchewan, called Independent Adoption Practitioners, to complete adoption home studies and follow-up reports.

What is the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption?

With the increase of child abduction and trafficking around the world, many countries have signed the Hague Convention in an effort to make international adoption a safer and more secure process. The Hague Convention is an international agreement which lays out guidelines to govern adoption processes in these countries and to protect the best interests of children. The Convention also has safeguards in place to protect birth and adoptive families but its main goal is to ensure that an international adoption is in the best interests of a child and that his/her fundamental rights are protected. More information about the Hague Convention.

Canada has been a partner in the Hague Convention since 1993 and all provinces and territories follow the Convention's guidelines. Canadians can adopt from countries that have not ratified the Hague Convention. These adoptions have similar steps but lack the assurances of Hague Convention adoptions.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Choosing the citizenship process or the immigration process

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada's web site, as of December 23, 2007, anyone adopted by a Canadian citizen after February 14th, 1977 can apply for a grant of Canadian citizenship without first becoming a permanent resident. Some new adoptions, however, will still need to use the immigration process. The following explains the two processes and will assist you in deciding which to pursue.

The Citizenship Process:

You can apply for citizenship for an adopted person if:

• at least one adoptive parent is, or was, a Canadian citizen when the adoption took place
• the adoption severs (or severed) all ties with the adopted person’s legal parents
• the adoption was or will be completed outside Canada (except for Quebec)

The adopted person does not meet the requirements for the citizenship process if:

• neither parent was a Canadian citizen when the adoption took place
• the adoption took place before February 15, 1977
• the adoption did not fully sever all ties with the child’s legal parents
• the adoption will be completed in Canada, or
• a probationary period is to be completed in Canada before a final adoption order is issued from the child’s birth country.

More information on how to apply for Citizenship can be found here: How to apply for Citizenship
More information on what happens after you apply for Citizenship can be found here: After applying for Citizenship.

The Immigration Process:

You can use the immigration process to apply for permanent resident status for the adopted child if:

• the adopted child is going to Canada to live right after the adoption takes place, or
• one or both parents are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

The adopted person does not meet the requirements for the immigration process if:

• the adopted person is not going to Canada to live right after the adoption takes place
• you are an adult adoptee living outside Canada and not returning to Canada to live right after your application is approved.

More information on Immigration can be found here: How to Apply for Immigration, After Applying for Immigration, Arriving in Canada with Your Child

For more information regarding immigration issues, contact Citizenship and Immigration Toll Free at: 1-888-242-2100.

International Adoption Expenses

The expenses for international adoptions are quite high and will vary based on the requirements of the child's country of origin, agency programs, coordinator fees and several other factors. On average, most international adoptions cost anywhere from $18,000 to $50,000.

In Saskatchewan, adoptive parents are responsible for the following costs:

Like Canada, there are children of all ages waiting to be adopted from overseas. Most children waiting to be adopted are available due to poverty and lack of family services. Many children are abandoned by their biological families or made orphans due to war and/or disease.

Prospective adoptive families pursuing international adoption must be aware that these children are considered special needs. Why? In most cases, these children have had traumatic early life experiences, health problems, poor pre-natal and/or postnatal care, or malnutrition. These special needs could arise due to such situations:

Adopting a Child of Another Culture or Race

With an international adoption, the child is often a different race and/or culture from their adoptive family. An inter-racial adoption raises a number of issues that adoptive parents should be prepared for ahead of time.

An Asian child adopted by a Caucasian couple will be recognizably different and might have more difficulty 'fitting in' than a child from Russia or the Ukraine. Adoptive parents are now being encouraged to learn about the child's country and culture so that they can teach their child about his/her heritage and incorporate parts of the child's culture into their family life and identity. Honouring the child's heritage will instill a sense of pride in the child and help them in the teenage years with their sense of identity.

Some adoptive families also face the reality of racism and attitudes from others (even relatives, friends and colleagues) towards those who are culturally or racially different. Adoptive families must also be prepared for inappropriate inquiries from others (often inquisitive strangers) about the child's origins and adoption. Many adoption agencies offer seminars and training courses that can prepare families for such situations and issues. There are also support groups for families that have adopted internationally. These groups are wonderful supports for not only parents but as well, their children, who find friendship with other adoptees possibly from their country of origin.

The Role of the International Adoption Agency

When hiring a licensed private adoption agency, it's important adoptive parents do their research and ensure that the agency they choose has a good reputation, reasonable policies and payment schedules, as well as staff who are compassionate and knowledgeable. The agency you choose is ultimately responsible for the total management of your adoption process until the adoption is completed and your child safely enters Saskatchewan.

Your licensed international adoption agency will:

Your licensed agency is also responsible for arranging the preparation and submission of follow up reports where required by the child's country of origin.

The Process in Saskatchewan to Adopt Internationally

STEP 1: All prospective adoptive parents must apply to Saskatchewan Social Services for approval for international adoption.

STEP 2: Decising Making! As prospective adoptive parents, you're expected to do your own research about the country from which you want to adopt as well as investigate and choose an adoption agency that will help facilitate the adoption. Each country has its own requirements of adoptive parents as well a number of varying factors including the race and ages of the children available for placement.

STEP 3: Application Forms. You will have to complete a Community Resources and Employment application for an international adoption placement, and determine who will be completing the homestudy.

STEP 4: Once your international adoption plan has been established, a Community Resources and Employment adoption worker, or an approved adoption practitioner, will visit your home to conduct the home study process. Your social worker will meet with your family over the span of several months to interview you about your life, your family and your home environment. You will be asked to discuss many personal issues; your worker will want to know about your childhood, your religious beliefs, education, past relationships and marriages, as well as your views on parenting. It's important to be honest with your worker so that he/she will be able to portray a clear and accurate view of your family in the home study report.

STEP 5: When the homestudy is complete, a Community Resources and Employment adoption worker compiles the adoption dossier according to the requirements of Saskatchewan and the other country. Once all the documents are translated, notarized, legalized and authenticated as required, Community Resources and Employment forwards the dossier to the foreign adoption authority. During this time, you should continue to prepare for the adoption while waiting for a child to be identified.

STEP 6: Wait for a match (Child Referral) ... Once your dossier has been completed and forwarded to the child's country, you'll wait a period of time for a child to be referred as a match for your family. Your adoption worker will contact you once he/she has received the referral.

A referral for a child contains the child's description, a photograph (and maybe a video) as well as the child's medical and social histories. Your adoption agency's professionals will be on hand to review the information with you and discuss any concerns or issues in the referral. If there are any concerns, you should do some research and consult with professionals like your family doctor or a pediatrician.

STEP 7: You will be asked to submit a Letter of Acceptance/Decline to your agency who will then forward it to the Central Authority in the child's country of origin. If you decline the referral, your agency will request that the country refer another child. If you accept the referral, your agency will forward the Letter of Acceptance to the child's country.

STEP 8: Citizenship and Immigration Canada Adoptive parents are responsible for their child’s entry into Canada. As of December 23, 2007, families can now choose from two processes: citizenship or immigration. Detailed information can be found here about Citizenship and Immigration Canada. For more information regarding immigration issues, contact Citizenship and Immigration Toll Free at: 1-888-242-2100

STEP 9: Travel! Your child's country will advise you and your agency on when you can travel to pick up your child. Depending on the country, you may be required to spend a certain amount of time in the country. During this time, you will be able to bond with and form attachments to your child as well as learn more about their heritage/culture. In most cases, you will also attend a court session where the adoption will be finalized.

STEP 10: Post-Placement. Once you've returned home with your child, your family will be required to submit post-placement reports to the child's country of origin. Most countries require that your adoption worker submit these reports which detail the child's safety and well-being, as well as include several photographs. These post-placement reports are often mandatory and some countries require the family to continue sending reports about the child(ren) on their own for several years (sometimes until the child is 18 years of age).

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