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Adoption

International Adoption Fact Sheet

What is International Adoption?

Who Can Apply?

What Children Are Available for Adoption?

Is a Home Study Required?

How Much Will It Cost?

Where Do We Begin?

How Long Will It Take?

What is International Adoption?
International Adoption is a process whereby Nova Scotian families may adopt a child or children from another country.

Who Can Apply?
Applicants must be:
• Over the age of majority (19);
• Residents of the province of Nova Scotia and;
• Canadian Citizens/Landed Immigrant Status.
Criteria for eligibility for applicants are also established by the child’s country of origin and may vary from country to country.

What Children Are Available for Adoption?
The children may range in age from infants up to 18 years of age. Eighteen years of age (18) is the upper limit established by the Federal Department of Citizenship and Immigration in the procedures for sponsoring a child for adoption.

International adoption includes the adoption of both related and unrelated children.

Is a Home Study Required?
Adoption home studies are required in all international adoptions. Home studies are completed by private practitioners authorized by the Department of Community Services. The list of private practitioners will be provided to you after you have submitted your application to the local children’s services agency and an initial screening of your application has been completed by the agency.

How Much Will It Cost?
There are costs associated with translation and notarization of documents, registration fees in country of child’s origin, legal fees, immigration fees, travel and medical costs for the child. The applicants are required to cover these costs. The costs will vary from country to country.

Where Do We Begin?
An information package including information on some of the countries where Canada participates in international adoption programs, application form and policy and procedures will be mailed to you upon request to your local children's services agency.

If you decide to proceed, your application is completed and returned to the local children’s services agency in the area where you reside. Please review the policy and procedures you receive in your information package for more detail.

How Long Will It Take?
From the submission of your application until your home study is completed and a decision is made will take between six months to one year.

Placement of a child will vary from country to country. In the majority of adoptions, you will be required to travel to the child’s country of origin for placement and to finalize the adoption.

Want to learn more about Adoption?
Please contact the Agency or District Office of the Department of Community Services nearest you to learn more.