Adoptive Parents  

Making the decision to adopt comes over time.  People choose adoption to build their family for a variety of reasons.  It may be your first choice, or it may not be. If your decision to adopt comes after putting aside your expectations and dreams for a child you hoped to create, you may find it helpful to read Child of Mine.  Infertility was hard, but I am richer for the family I have now.  You may also want to read Adopting After Infertility by Patricia Irwin Johnston (available in bookstores or online at Amazon or Abe Books).

There are 2 adoption systems in Ontario

As a resident of Ontario, you can adopt a child through the public or private system. 

The public system refers to adopting a child from any one of the Ontario child welfare agencies (often referred to as the Children's Aid Society) that are responsible for children who have become wards of the province under child protection laws. 

The private system refers to birth parents who are voluntarily placing their child for adoption. In most of these cases, the children are adopted at birth. The private system also includes adopting a child from another country.  In international adoption, typically the children are 3 years of age and older.

While the public and private systems are both excellent choices for adopting, there are several factors that you need to consider to help you decide which is the better option for you. We are here to review these factors with you.

Becoming adopt ready 

Regardless of which system you adopt through, you must go through a two step preparation process to become "adopt ready".   The first step is an educational process called PRIDE.  This is a 27 hour mandatory course that will educate you on the unique issues involved in parenting an adopted child. The second step is an assessment process called a homestudy and is a primary service offered The Adoption Source.  Once adopt ready, you will be able to adopt in either the Public System or the Private System. 

Getting started

We encourage you to learn more about the options available to you clicking on the menu options on the right.  Here you will find further detail on the Public and Private Systems as well as more on the process to become adopt ready.  Also, please visit our FAQ page which will answer many of your initial questions on adoption.  If you are ready to begin the process of becoming Adopt Ready, please click here to contact us!