Many children are living in misery around the world. There are children out there who are facing the harshest poverty or the cruelest war. We all want to help them and ensure a better future for them, right? Foreign child adoption is one of the best ways to give these children a better chance in life.
Though adopting foreign children sounds fantastic, it’s an extremely complicated matter. There are lots of paperwork and international rules to follow. In this article, we will try to give you an overview of foreign child adoption in Alberta.
Types of Foreign Adoption
There are three types of foreign adoptions-
Hague Convention Adoption: It’s an international convention to protect children’s rights in the case of international adoption.
Government Adoption for Non-Hague Countries: Sadly, Hague Convention Adoption does not apply to every country. To be exact, it is suitable to 88 countries. In that case, the process has to be established between Alberta and the child’s country.
Private Foreign Adoption: If the country is non-Hague and doesn’t have the adoption process with Alberta.
What Needs to be Considered
Before adopting a foreign child in Alberta, you need to consider-
- The regulations, legislation, and policies of the child’s country. You need to know the latest update as the plans could change.
- The political and cultural sensitivity of that country.
- Know if any problematic child adoption, child trafficking, or selling going on in that country. These sorts of things could lead you into trouble.
- Know about their process of child transfer. Know if there are any technical difficulties in reaching that country’s officials.
How to Apply for Foreign Child Adoption
Step-1: Fill out the form and submit the form
You can get the application through licensed adoption agencies. You can also request the form to submit to you online. Fill out the form accurately and mail it to-
Adoption Services
Alberta Children’s Services
10th Floor, Sterling Place
9940 106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2N2
Step-2: Complete pre-adoption training and home study report
After adoption, authorities will allow you to get going with pre-adoption training and home study report. Contact a licensed adoption agency to begin the process.
The agency will then review the results of your home study report and have you sign the report. Then they will send the report to Alberta Adoption Services for provincial authorization.
Step-3: Compile an adoption file
After the home study report gets approved, accumulate all the report and all the other important documents and compile them into a file.
It’s advised that you get help from an adoption agency of the country you intend to adopt the child to compile the file.
Step-4: Translate the file
The adoption services of the child’s country of origin will help you to do this. Make the file notarized, authenticated, and verified according to that countries adoption policy requirements.
Step-5: Send the file
Once the file is ready, send the required number of copies to Adoption Services. If you take service from an adoption agency or co-ordinator, they will manage everything for you.
From here, the process is simple. Alberta Adoption Services will send the file to the child’s country’s adoption authority for approval.
Step-6: Complete the sponsorship form
After the approval, contact Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada to fill out the forms required to apply for the child’s Canadian citizenship. You can get the required information from the immigration website.
Step-7: Finally, a match!
The adoption authority in the child’s country will send a child referral to Adoption Services. The match is made by analyzing your parenting ability and the mental and physical state of the child.
For an adoption, the child’s biological parents must have their guardianship terminated. Otherwise, the child will not be eligible for adoption.
Step-8: Let adoption service know your decision
Complete the letter of acceptance or decline. If the adoption service approves the match, and you agree to the adoption, the adoption authority makes an arrangement to finalize the adoption in court.
After the adoption gets finalized, IRCC reviews the application for Canadia sponsorship.
How Much Foreign Child Adoption Cost?
As I have said before, foreign adoption is very complex and time-consuming. It takes three to four years to complete the whole process. Depending on the situation, the adoption cost would vary from $15,000 to $40,000. Here is a list of things where you need to spend your money-
- To pre-adoption training
- Home study report
- Preparing and authenticating documents
- Translating all the documents
- Immigration fees
- Child’s medical exam
- Agency fees
- Legal fees
- Travel and accommodation
The Bottom Line
Foreign child adoption is a complex issue. There are lots of things that need to be considered before adopting a child from another country. For some obvious reason, the foreign child needs to be older to be ready for adoption. Some people may want to adopt a newborn child to adopt. So they need to consider this before adoption.
I think you should consult a professional before planning to adopt from abroad. Preparing yourself and your family before the adoption. If you need any help regarding adoption or any legal services, feel free to contact us.
