Are you a Canadian parent looking to adopt a child soon? Are you looking for Adoption Agencies in Canada? Stick around and find out what the top adoption agencies in Canada are, the general adoption requirements, and what adoption agencies in Canada are better: private or public adoption agencies.
Adoption can be a wonderful way to create a family. It also has its challenges, and it’s important that you have the support you need. There are many adoption agencies in Canada dedicated to helping people connect with children they can adopt. If you’re considering adoption, this guide will help you understand how it works and what your options are.
What are Adoption Agencies?
Adoption in Canada is regulated by the government and overseen by Children’s Services. There are many different adoption agencies in Canada that facilitate adoptions, but only non-profit adoption agencies (also called “Children’s Aid Societies”) can legally arrange adoptions in Canada.
Adoption agencies are funded by the government and regulated by Children’s Services to ensure they’re operating within their scope of practice. They provide services such as child protection, adoption services, foster care, special needs programs, family support services, and youth justice services.
Adoptions arranged through these organizations must follow a set of policies set out by provincial authorities and governed under federal law.
How Do I Adopt a Child in Canada?
If you’re a Canadian parent, and are interested in adopting a child, you’ll need to contact any of the adoption agencies in Canada on this list.
Adoption agencies can help you find the best way to adopt a child depending on your situation. Here are some things to keep in mind when looking for an adoption agency near you:
- You can adopt a child from Canada or another country, but there are restrictions depending on the country where the child is located.
- You must be Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada and at least 18 years old when applying for adoption services.
- If you’re single and under 18 years old, there may be special exceptions made by your province’s Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). Contact your MCFD office directly if this applies to you before contacting an adoption agency; they will inform them of any special circumstances so they can make appropriate arrangements with their relevant regional authorities regarding affordability concerns as well as possible age restrictions that may affect whether or not you qualify as part of their process.
Private Adoption Agencies
A private adoption agency is a not-for-profit organization that provides information on private adoptions and helps adoption candidates find an appropriate family for their child to be placed with.
These agencies are sometimes paid by the birth parents, who may use them to screen potential adoptive families as well.
There are several different types of adoption, including open and closed (also called confidential). Closed adoptions are more common in Canada than open ones, but both have their pros and cons.
In an open adoption, you’ll probably get photos or regular updates about your child through a third-party such as the agency or someone they trust—but it’s not guaranteed. In a closed adoption, there’s no contact between you and your child until they’re 18 years old (or if they request it before then).
List of Private Adoption Agencies in Canada
There are only 13 private adoption agencies in Canada spread across four provinces in the country: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario.
This means that there are no other private adoption agencies in other provinces like Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, for example.
Here is the list of the private adoption agencies in Canada, listed by their provinces. Also included is information on how to contact these adoption agencies should you want you to adopt a child through their services.
Private Adoption Agencies in Alberta
- Adoption Options
#304, 10109-106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3L7
Telephone: 780‑433‑5656
Fax: 780‑447‑4763
Toll Free Number: 1‑800‑770‑3023
Email: aoedm@adoptionoptions.com
- #207, 5940 MacLeod Trail S
Calgary, Alberta T2H 2G4
Telephone: 403‑270‑8228
Fax: 403‑270‑3929
Executive Director: Sheryl Proulx, BSW, RSW
Program Director – International Adoptions: Elizabeth Gifford, BSW, RSW
Email: aocal@adoptionoptions.com
- Amaris Adoption Services
101C 9705 Horton Rd S.W.
Calgary, AB, T2V 2X5
403.256.3224
Email: info@amarisadoption.com
- Small Miracles Adoption Agency
Tower 1, Suite 2020
10060 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5J 3R8
Email: info@smallmiraclesadoption.com
Telephone: 780-421-1177
Private Adoption Agencies in British Columbia
- Sunrise Family Services Society
Suite 102
171 West Esplanade
North Vancouver, B.C., V7M 3J9
Attn: Natasha Chalke, Executive Director
Phone: 604 984-2488
Fax: 604 984-2498
Toll Free: 1 888 984-2488
Email: Natasha@sunriseadoption.com
- Adoption Centre of BC
620 Leon Ave
Kelowna, BC, V1Y 9T2
Attn: Janice Tuling, Administrator
Phone: 250 763-8002
Toll Free: 1 800 935-4237
Birthparent line: 250 718-2396
Fax: 250 763-6282
Email: adoptioninfo@kcr.ca
Private Adoption Agencies in Manitoba
- Adoption Options
1313 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg MB R3G OV3
Phone: (204) 774-0511
Fax: (204) 783-3481
- UAS Eastern European Adoptions
777 Pritchard Avenue
Winnipeg MB R2X 0E8
Phone: (204) 947-2953
Fax: (204) 943-8603
Email: infouas@mts.net
Private Adoption Agencies in Ontario
- Adoption Agency and Counselling Service (Ontario)
Tina McCann
70 East Beaver Creek Road, Unit # 30
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3B2
Telephone: (905) 475-3386
Fax: (905) 780 – 1964
Email: tinamccann@sympatico.ca
- Beginnings Counselling and Adoption Services of Ontario
Medical Arts Building
#308 – 1 Young Street
Hamilton ON L8N 1T8
Telephone: (905) 528-6665
Fax: (905) 528-6589
Email: info@beginnings.ca
- Children’s Resource and Consultation Centre of Ontario
100 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto ON M4V 1N3
Telephone: (416) 923-7771
Fax: (416) 923-1260
Email: mjblug@total.net
- JFJ Hope Centre Adoption Services
#5-6655 Kitimat Road
Mississauga ON L5N 6J4
Telephone: (905) 821-7494
Fax: (905) 821- 6311
Email: helpline@jewelsforjesus.net
- The Children’s Bridge
1400 Clyde Avenue
Suite 221
Nepean ON K2G 3J2
Telephone: (613) 226-2112
Fax: (613) 226-8843
Email: info@childrensbridge.com
- World View Adoption Association
130 Westmore Drive, Suite 5
Toronto ON M9V 5E2
Telephone: (416) 743-9324
Fax: (416) 745-9778
Email: adoption@wcic.ca
Public Adoption Agencies
On the other hand, public adoption agencies are required to be non-profit, secular and have a public board of directors.
In contrast to private adoption agencies, public adoption agencies can be found in every province and territory in Canada. Most of the time, you can get their services for free or for a very small fee.
The Children’s Aid Society, for example, is a public agency. This means that it gets money from the government. Foster children who have been taken away from their own families because of abuse or neglect, sibling groups, older children, and/or children with special mental or physical needs are some of the types of children who are cared for by public agencies.
Because each province has its own adoption laws, the rules and procedures can be very different from one place to another. Please don’t be afraid to get in touch with the adoption coordinator for your province if you want more information about the process and the rules that apply in your area.
Here’s the list of the public adoption agencies in Canada, and their provinces specified:
Public Adoption Agency in Alberta
- Telephone: (780) 422-5641
Public Adoption Agency in British Columbia
- Telephone: (250) 387-3660
Public Adoption Agency in Manitoba
- Telephone: (204) 945-6958
Public Adoption Agency in New Brunswick
- Telephone: (506) 444-5970
Public Adoption Agency in Newfoundland
- Telephone: (709) 729-6721
Public Adoption Agency in Northwest Territories
- Telephone: (867) 873-7943
Public Adoption Agency in Nova Scotia
- Telephone: (902) 424-3205
- Telephone: (867) 975-5700
Public Adoption Agency in Ontario
- Telephone: (416) 327-4730
Prince Edward Island
- Telephone: (902) 368-6514
Public Adoption Agency in Quebec
- Telephone: (514) 873-4747 or 1 (800) 561-0246
Public Adoption Agency in Saskatchewan
- Telephone: (306) 787-5698
Public Adoption Agency in Yukon
- Telephone: (867) 667-3473
Public Vs Private Adoption Agencies
In Canada, there are two types of adoption agencies: public and private adoption agencies. Public agencies receive government funding and are more likely to be free or low-cost.
Private agencies can charge fees for their services and the wait time may be longer because they often have to compete with other adoption agencies for children who need families.
When you’re looking to adopt a child, you might wonder whether a public or private adoption agency is the best fit for you.
Here’s what you need to know about each option:
- Public Adoption Agencies
Public adoption agencies in Canada are run by government organizations like the Ministry of Children and Families, or by charities.
They can also be operated by religious organizations or other not-for-profit entities. Public adoption agencies are funded by the government, so they don’t charge prospective parents a fee to adopt through them.
However, they still require an application and may take several months to decide whether or not they’ll accept your application into their pool of potential parents.
They may also require certain requirements from prospective parents (such as being married or having a certain income level).
- Private Adoption Agencies
On the other camp, private adoption agencies in Canada are privately operated businesses that work with birth mothers who want to place their child up for adoption. These agencies can be run as individuals or businesses, and they typically charge a fee to help cover their expenses related to helping birth mothers place their children with adoptive families.
Private agencies also have more flexibility in selecting families to adopt children through them because they’re not bound by strict rules that govern public agencies.
For example, if you want to adopt a young child with special needs, a private agency may be able to help you while a public agency might reject your application outright due to lack of resources or training on how best to care for such children.
While it may seem counterintuitive to think of a private company as being more compassionate than a public entity, it’s important to remember that private companies are driven by profits—meaning they have an incentive to provide quality service and ensure that their customers come back again and again.
Public agencies do not have this incentive; they receive funding from taxpayers and can’t be fired if they don’t deliver.
| S/N | Private Agencies | Public Agencies |
| 1. | Privately owned by individuals, churches or charities. | Owned and run by the government. |
| 2. | More profit-driven. | Not very profit-driven. |
| 3. | Usually more expensive. | Requires minimal to no fees for adoption. |
| 4. | Generally, they have fewer rigid rules. For example, single parents can adopt a child from a private adoption agency. | They have more rigid rules. Only married couples can adopt. |
| 5. | Quickly responsive to application requests. | Takes time to review applications. Sometimes, it may take more than a year. |
Here’s an overview of the comparison between the two adoption agencies in Canada:
Generally, the two adoption agencies have one thing in common: they both have children’s welfare in mind.
So, regardless of which agency you choose to contact, you will be sure of adopting kids that were well taken care of, while in their custody.
How Much Does It Cost to Adopt a Child in Canada?
As with most things, the cost of adoption depends on which of the adoption agencies in Canada that you’re going for (i.e., private or public adoption agency?). Adoption fees are not covered by insurance or government programs.
It is possible to pay for adoption in full, but it’s more common for the birth parent to pay for some of the costs. If you’re paying for your child’s adoption out of pocket, keep in mind that there are several other expenses such as travel, legal fees, and medical care.
There are many agencies that help people find children to adopt in Canada. The agencies are private and public, funded by the government and by private donations. These organizations work to help find children to adopt in Canada, as well as families for them to live with.
Wrapping It Up
Adoption agencies are a great resource for families. They can help parents who have been through the foster system and want to adopt, people who are interested in adopting children with special needs or disabilities, as well as many other types of families. It is important that you make an informed decision about whether an agency is right for you.
There are many agencies across Canada that help people find children to adopt in Canada.
These include private and public adoption agencies, government-run organizations like Ontario’s Children’s Aid Society (CAS), foster care programs through provinces such as Alberta’s Ministry of Child Services (MCS), local church groups such as those found at Toronto’s St James Anglican Church.