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Adoption
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Once a homestudy is complete and approved, applicants can complete
a family profile to be used when presenting your family to other
Children's Aid Societies (CAS) or at the Provincial Adoption Resource
Exchange conference. The Adoption Resource Exchange happens twice
yearly and profiles children available for adoption through CAS's
throughout Ontario. The family profile is a summary of the homestudy
and is provided to a CAS if you are interested in one of the children
they are presenting.
When a family has been chosen, the adoption worker meets with them
to share non-identifying information about the child, his or her
life experiences, health and family background to ensure that the
adoptive family is able to provide and support the specific needs
of the child.
Prior to placing a child in an adoptive home, extensive visiting
occurs between the child and the prospective adoptive parents. The
placement of a child into an adoptive home begins the adoption probation
period. In most instances the probation period lasts six months.
Adoption probation is a critical period of adjustment for both the
child and the adoptive family. During this time period, the child
begins the process of integration into the adoptive family. The
probation period provides a time for the family and child to adjust
to each other and to ensure that the placement is progressing for
both the child and the adoptive family.
An adoption worker visits the child and adoptive parents in the
adoptive home a minimum of three times, at seven days, 30 days and
typically every month during the "probation period". These
visits allow the adoption worker to provide support, coordinate
services and, ultimately, to assess the extent to which the child
has meshed with the adoptive family and the extent to which the
adoptive parents demonstrate the ability to integrate the child
into the family. The visits are also to assist the family with any
adjustment difficulties. In addition, once the probation period
has concluded, the adoption may be finalized. This is done in Family
Court.
The court will only finalize an adoption if it is satisfied that
the adoption order is in the child's best interests. A report prepared
by the adoption worker, which summarizes the adoption placement
and addresses why it is in the best interests of the child to be
adopted by the applicants, is submitted to the court. The best interests
of the child are defined in the Child and Family Services Act and
include any factors that are relevant to the situation.
An adoption order is final and irrevocable. On the date the court
makes the adoption order, the adopted child legally becomes the
child of his or her adoptive parents and ceases legally to be the
child of his or her birth parents or any other prior adoptive parent.

Our Mailing address is:
Foster Adopt Recruitment Team
Family and Children's Services of the Region of Waterloo
300 Ardelt Avenue
Kitchener, Ontario N2G 2S6
Call (519) 576-0540, ask for a Foster/Adopt Recruitment Worker
E-mail: foster.adoption@facswaterloo.org
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