Adoption

Adoption is the legal process through which a child or youth becomes a permanent part of a new family.  

Adoption Services is focused on finding families capable of meeting the needs of each child awaiting adoption. While the needs and wishes of the families are considered very important, the child’s best interests always come first. 

Children and youth are looking for adoptive families for different reasons. Not all children can be raised by their birth parents. Some parents find that despite their best efforts, their life situation does not allow them to meet their children’s needs. In other circumstances, children cannot safely return to their families.  

Children who are unable to be raised by their birth parents need stable, loving families who will accept them as part of their family through adoption.

Please visit the Adoption Act for more information.  

Public Adoption: 

Children awaiting adoption through the public system in PEI are those who have been found in need of protection under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act and have come into the permanent care of the Director of Child Protection. In some cases, an infant may be available for adoption as a result of a voluntary planned adoption by birth parents.  

Children being adopted through the public system may have risk factors due to their early life experiences (such as trauma, prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, or neglect) or due to family medical or psychiatric history. Families applying to adopt a child or children under the age of two with minimal risk factors can expect a significant waiting time for placement.  

Many children have siblings who are also in need of adoptive families. Adoption Services prioritizes keeping sibling groups together in adoptive homes whenever possible and encourages continued contact between siblings if they are placed in different homes. 

International Adoption: 

Adopting a child from another country is complex. Most intercountry adoptions take place in the child’s home country; however, the laws and procedures for adoption by foreigners vary across countries. For instance, some countries allow adoptions outside the child’s home country, while others only permit adoption inside the country. Not  all countries allow adoptions. In PEI, adoption of children from countries outside of Canada are handled by Adoption Services.  

All intercountry adoptions generally have two separate processes: the adoption process itself, and the immigration and/or citizenship process. 

Intercountry adoptions must comply with the legislated requirements of the child’s country of origin, federal Immigration Regulations, the Hague Convention and PEI’s Intercountry Adoption Act.  These requirements provide safeguards and procedures to ensure the adoption is in the best interests of the child, biological parents and adoptive parents. The child’s country of origin must also make reasonable efforts to place the child domestically before considering international adoption. 

How long will the international adoption process take? 

Most international adoptions take from three to four years to complete. 

How much does an international adoption cost?  

Costs for international adoptions vary depending on the country. Costs could exceed $50,000. Some of these expenses include, but are not limited to, translation costs, completion of a Home Study, legal documents, immigration fees, child’s medical examinations, agency fees in child’s country of origin, travel and accommodations. 

Private Adoption: 

Private adoption involves children who are placed for adoption when their birth parents make a voluntary plan of adoption. Often the children are infants, and the adoptions are considered to be open.   

What is an open adoption? 

Open adoption means that birth parents receive information about the adoptive families who are on the private adoption registry and are part of the process of selecting a family for their child.  Private adoptions usually have an agreement between the two families for continuing contact. 

Private adoptions in PEI are facilitated by a Licensed Liaison who maintains a registry of waiting families who have completed a home study assessment and have been approved to adopt a child.  

How much does a private adoption cost? 

There are no costs for the birth parents to make a plan of adoption for their child.  Adoptive families are responsible for the costs associated with a private adoption (such as the Licensed Liaison’s fee, for the completion of a home study and legal costs).  The cost for adoptive families varies depending upon the specific circumstances of the adoption, but generally ranges anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000.

Relative Adoptions: 

In PEI, birth parents can make a plan of adoption for their child to be adopted by a close relative.  These adoptions can be done via a permit.   

If you are considering a plan of adoption for your child with a relative, contact the Provincial Adoption Coordinator to apply for a Permit to Make an Adoption Placement with a Relative.  The Adoption Act and Regulations have certain requirements that need to be met before your proposed plan can be approved, including birth parent counselling and a home study assessment of the proposed adoptive family. For more information, please contact Adoption Services. 

Who are the Adoptive Families? 

Adoptive families in Prince Edward Island come from all regions of the province. Every adoptive family is different, and may include applicants who are single, who are members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, who are from diverse cultures, or those who already have children. All adoptive families will need to have safe and stable housing, a sense of connectedness in their communities, and a well-established network of supportive relationships.  

The Director of Child Protection, as the legal guardian of children in the care of the province, reserves the right, based on established criteria, to determine who will be registered as approved adoptive applicants. The Director also maintains the exclusive right to consent to the adoption of a child. 

Qualities of adoptive families: 

In addition to meeting provincial and legal requirements to adopt in PEI, individuals and couples should look at their personal qualities to decide if adoption is right for them.  While no parent is perfect, certain traits and abilities have been found to contribute to successful adoptions, such as your commitment and readiness to open your heart to a child not born to you; your comfortability with your child’s grief and loss as well as your own; your ability to understand the importance of a child’s birth family; and your ability to be flexible, accepting, tolerant and understanding. Another important consideration is whether or not you have support people who you can ask for help when you need it.   

What Criteria is Required to Become an Adoptive Family? 

PEI Adoption Services has criteria that must be met as a first step towards making an adoption application.  

You may be eligible to adopt a child or youth if you are: 

• A Canadian citizen or permanent resident; 
• A resident of Prince Edward Island aged 18 years or older; and  
• Have a living space that provides a secure and healthy environment for children/ youth. 

If you meet these criteria, the next step is completing the required adoption preparation training and undergoing a home study assessment. A home study assessment is an evaluation of the home and life of prospective adoptive parents that is required prior to allowing an adoption to take place. 

Post-Adoption Services 

Prince Edward Island has established, in accordance with the Adoption Act, a Post-Adoption Service for adoptees, birth families, and adoptive parents. Find more information here.  

Supported Adoption Program 

Children who are in the permanent care of the Director of Child Protection, based on their identified needs, may qualify for services under the Supported Adoption Program when they are adopted. You can access information about this program by contacting Adoption Services. 

For more information on the Supported Adoption Regulations, please visit here. 

Contact:

Provincial Adoption Coordinator 
161 St. Peters Road 
PO Box 2000  
Charlottetown, PE 
C1A 7N8 
 
Telephone: 902-368-6511 
Email: adoption@gov.pe.ca