Adoption is the legal transfer of all parental rights and responsibilities for a child from that child’s legal parents (birth parents or adoptive parents) to another person or persons referred to as the adopter or adopters.
There are two primary types of adoption:
- Open:
An open adoption is a form of adoption in which the biological parents and the adoptive parents know each other or the child knows the adoptive parent, it involves the adoption of an identified child.
- Closed:
A closed adoption is a form of adoption where the biological and the adoptive family do not know each other and neither has any identifying information about the other, there is no contact. In a closed adoption, the child matched with a prospective adopter based on their requested child profile
You can call the Adoption Unit at 627-0748 ext 40021, 40022, or 40023 or email (
adoption@ttchildren.org) and you will receive information on our application process.
Yes, they do. Prospective Adoptive Parents will have the opportunity to describe the child that they would like to be a part of their family. On the application form, there is a section that requires the Applicant to indicate the child preference.
The Children’s Authority will aim to provide support on a case by case basis to adoptive parents, families and adopted children by referrals to external agencies.
It is possible to adopt more than one child. Sibling groups can be adopted at one time as this will make the process easier for the family involved or in the case of unrelated children, individual applications will have to be submitted.
As the adoptive parent, you will retain all legal parental rights of the child. In open adoptions, the decision to allow the natural parent, guardian or relative into your home is solely your decision.
- For open adoptions, the process can take from 8 months to one year
- For closed adoptions the timeframe is indeterminate as it depends on the availability of a child that matches the requested child profile of the Prospective Adoptive Parent
Adoptive parents will receive parenting training or any such support depending on the need identified by the Adoption Unit
The Children’s Authority does not charge a fee to process the adoption application. However, there will be costs incurred by the Applicant in providing requisite supporting documents to the Adoption Unit. As well as the legal fees charged by the Applicant’s Attorney for filing of an application for an Adoption Order in Court.
- For closed applications, once you have been deemed suitable by the Adoption Committee for your name to be placed on the List of Suitable Prospective Adoptive Parents, you will receive written correspondence from the Adoption Unit.
- For open applications, once the Adoption Committee recommends that the adoption is in the best interest of the child, you will receive written correspondence from the Adoption Unit.
Foster care is meant to be a temporary placement for a child. Generally the plan is for the child to return to his/her parents when they are able to provide care. However, Adoption refers to the permanent placement of a child with a family who is deemed suitable to meet his or her needs. Also, in adoption parents relinquish their parental rights.
You retain your status on the List of Suitable persons as being approved as a Prospective Adoptive Parent and are in the pre-matching stage. However, given the time you had been approved the Adoption Unit will have to conduct a review of your home study to include background check and psychological assessment which form part of the Authority’s process.
The timeframe is indeterminate as it depends on the availability of a child that matches the requested child profile of the Prospective Adoptive Parent.
Yes, you may bring this information to the attention of the Adoption Unit by calling or sending an email. Thereafter the Adoption Unit will facilitate a meeting with you and the birth parents.
Yes, it is possible since the child available may match the profile of the child those persons may have submitted and may be different from the profile that you submitted. However, if more than one person shares the same child profile, the three persons chronologically will be considered and the Adoption Committee will recommend the person(s) that are a good fit in the best interest of the child.
Yes, you will be assigned a specific caseworker.
Once you were approved as a co-applicant with your spouse, you will have to re-apply as a single applicant.
Once you were approved as adopters in a co-application process, you can inform the Adoption Unit and you will need to re-apply as a single adopter.
You should first contact the Adoption Unit via telephone at 627-0748 ext 40021, 40022 or 40023 or email at
adoption@ttchildren.org and information will be provided to you on the process.
The categories of children who are considered to be eligible for adoption are as follows:
- Children who are placed at the disposition of the Authority for adoption by their parents/guardians.
- Children who are in the care of the Authority, either in Foster Care or in a Community Residence and for whom an order is granted by the Court to make the child available for adoption.
- Children who are the subject of de facto adoptions. Children within a family in which the applicant is the spouse or cohabitant of the natural parent of the child;
- Children within a family in which one of the applicants is a parent, step-parent or relative of the child, or has been a step-parent or relative of the child.
The Court directs the Register General Department of the Ministry of Legal Affairs to prepare an Adoption Certificate which states the Adoptive parents as the legal parents of the child. The Adoption Certificate replaces the child’s birth certificate which is sealed. The adoption of the child is entered on the Adopted Children’s Register at the Register General Department.
Yes, you will be required to retain an Attorney at the end of the adoption process. The Adoption Unit will inform you at that time by written correspondence.
