Openness In Adoption

Adoption is a legal and social process which establishes a parent child relationship, providing permanence and security for the child and/or youth. We honour the importance of ensuring birth families have a role in the ongoing lives of children through various ways. In some cases, birth families may be involved in the selection of an adoptive family for their child.

Prior to placing a child with an adoptive family, the birth parents are encouraged to provide as much information as possible about their family, heritage, religion, traditions so that careful consideration occurs when choosing a potential adoptive family. Birth parents may also have regular written correspondence, face-to-face contact, or share in certain traditions together as a way of staying connected.

Openness between adoptive and birth family members is a common occurrence in many adoptions. The degree of openness a child needs, a birth parent wants, or an adopting family can accept, is carefully examined early in the adoption process.

If you are considering adopting through your local CAS, you should expect that maintaining a level of openness with a child’s birth family will be discussed with you when considering adopting a child.

For more information about openness, please refer to the Making Openness Work for Kids and Families Webinar, available on demand through the Adoption Council of Ontario website: Webinars – Adoption Council of Ontario