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All public adoptions in Saskatchewan
are arranged through the Ministry of Social Services. The
children who are available for adoption range in age from
infant to 18 years old. Children who are in the permanent
care of the government are often considered to be special
needs.
These children have a variety of special
needs including:
- they are part of a sibling group;
- they were exposed to drugs or alcohol
in utero and may have behavioural and learning disabilities;
- they have difficulty attaching to a new
family;
- they have suffered abuse or neglect and
this has delayed their ability to learn and develop; or
- they have a combination of the above
Children become available for adoption in
many ways. Some children (many with the special needs mentioned
above) come into the care of the Ministry by court order while
some birth parents choose to make an adoption plan for their
child.
Since 1989, Saskatchewan's Ministry
of Social Services has offered "open" adoptions
as an option and has encouraged birth parents to take an active
role in the selection of the adoptive parents. Openness allows
for varying degrees of contact and information sharing between
the birth parent and adoptive parents as the adopted child
grows up.
Social Services does not charge any registration
or homestudy fees for a domestic adoption. However, there
may be some costs for certain documents like medical reports,
criminal record checks as well as in-province travel.
STEP 1: If you're
interested in adopting a child in Saskatchewan, contact
your local Social Services office. An adoption worker
will arrange an appointment to discuss adoption options with
you and help determine which adoption programs for which you
want to apply. Once you've completed an application form,
you'll be registered on a provincial waiting list. Time on
the waiting list will vary depending on a variety factors
including how many children are available for adoption and
the number of approved adoptive parents who are also waiting.
STEP 2: The homestudy.
A qualified adoption social worker will conduct your homestudy
and together you will discuss your home and community, your
marriage relationship and your thoughts about parenting. You
will also discuss many other aspects of being parents of an
adopted child, such as your knowledge of adoption issues,
including those of separation and loss and their effect on
behaviour and development. As part of the homestudy process
you will be required to provide a medical assessment from
your family doctor to confirm that you're in good physical
and mental health. As well, you, anyone 19 years or older
living in your home, will be asked to undergo a criminal record
check. You will also need to provide three references from
friends, colleagues or professionals.
STEP 3: Homestudy approval.
You will be given the opportunity to review the homestudy
and once you have signed off on it, the report 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.
STEP 4: The matching process.
When a match has occurred and you have accepted a prospective
adoptive child, a series of pre placement visits begin. If
the child lives in a different community, you will be asked
to travel there at your own expense. These initial visits
are structured and supervised, with your social worker and/or
the child's social worker present and possibly the child's
caregiver. As your relationship with the child grows, you
will begin to spend time alone with the child and have him
or her visit your home.
STEP 5: Open your home to your new
son or daughter. Once the pre placement visits are
completed to the satisfaction of both social workers, the
child will be placed in your home. At any point in the process
before the placement of the child in your home, you can decide
against proceeding. If you have any doubts about the placement,
discuss your concerns with your social worker.
Throughout the adoption process, it is important
for you to remember that while the steps must be followed,
it is also an individual process. The average time from application
to homestudy takes several months.
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 Social Services prior to
adoption. This program is discussed with families pursuing
adoption of children with special needs.
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