GETTING STARTED

Private Home Studies
York CAS will accept adoption home studies completed by any licenced adoption worker in Ontario. This can speed up your acceptance to be considered for an adoption placement by this agency, but only if it is written in a SAFE formated adoption home study. SAFE is a new home study format that is mandatory for all CAS’s to use by Dec 2006. Therefore a private adoption home study not completed in the SAFE format will not benefit the applicant, and is therefore no longer recommended by this agency. If looking into a private adoption home study please ensure they will use the SAFE format to get the best results for your investment.

The Application and Home Study Process
The process may seem intense but reflects the sensitive and delicate nature of adopting a child with special needs. It involves an initial home visit, where your questions are answered and documents are provided for you to complete i.e. personal questionnaires, criminal reference checks, medicals and personal references. Once you return all of these documents, you are scheduled into the next available training session (note it’s critical that all documents are returned as until then you will not proceed to training) The training consist of several sessions in which critical information is shared, and discussed to educate you on adoption issues, and to assist you in making an informed decision on which children to apply for, and how best to support their adjustment and growth within your family.

Upon completion of the training a social worker completes the home study, which usually takes three to four months to complete. The home study process includes 3-4 interviews including a home visit and inspection. The interviews focus on family backgrounds, motivation for adopting, couple relationship, financial circumstances and experience with children. Once a home study is completed and approved, applicants can complete a family profile to be used when presenting your family to other Children's Aid Societies 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. This profile is a summary of the home study and is provided to a CAS if you are interested in one of the child(ren) they are presenting.

NOTE: Applicants may be turned down during the Intake/Homestudy process if it becomes apparent that we will not be able to use your home for the children we are currently seeking homes for.

Each child waiting for adoption is unique
Children of all ages and stages of development can be adopted, but the majority are aged two and older. These children come from a variety of cultural, racial, ethic and religious backgrounds. Some are brothers and sisters, waiting for a family who can adopt them together. Most of the older children waiting to be adopted have had painful experiences and need time to adjust to a new home. Others may have developmental or physical challenges. Each child is different, but all can benefit from becoming part of a warm and loving family.

Adoption must be in the child's best interests
Not all children in CAS care are available for adoption. Many are living temporarily with foster families while efforts are being made to help their own family’s function better so they can live at home again. Approximately half the children in foster care are successfully returned to their family.

Others stay in long-term foster care as a matter of choice. Either they don't want to try adoption, or a judge has granted access to certain people in their birth families. This happens when it's thought that visits with relatives are more important to the child's well being than breaking ties and starting a new life in an adoptive family.

Since CAS workers have the opportunity to really know and understand the children in their care, they help determine if adoption or long-term foster care is in a child's best interests. Adoptability assessments are often used to determine if a child’s needs would be best served by adoption, and what characteristics should be sought within an adoptive home to meet those needs. If a child is old enough, he or she also takes part in this decision.

Adoption is the legal process that gives a new family to a child whose birth family can't care for him or her. It's intended to provide the child with permanence and security.

Adoption benefits children and families
To experience healthy development, and create a sense of their own self-worth, children need to have roots and feel they belong to a family that cares for them.

Unfortunately, some parents can't provide their children with adequate care because of conflict or illness in the family. Others believe they can't provide the kind of upbringing they want for their children. Parents in these circumstances may decide to give their children up for adoption.

Individuals and couples who can't have children of their own often want to adopt children. Parents who already have children may want to adopt to enlarge their families.