What is private adoption?

Private adoptions happen when you use a private adoption agency to find a child.

Most of these children are under the age of six months. Often their parents are simply unable to raise their child. These parents have decided that adoption is the best option for their baby.

In Ontario, private adoptions are handled by individuals or agencies licensed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

What services do they provide?

Individuals or agencies that are licensed to handle private adoptions provide many services, such as:

• counselling for birth parents before and after the baby's birth
• support for adoptive parents before and after the adoption
• help in completing paperwork and making sure it gets sent to the Ontario government, and
• court and legal services.

How much does a private adoption cost?

The adoption agency or individual will charge you a fee for its services. The cost of private adoption services can vary from about $10,000 to $20,000.

How do I adopt a child through a private adoption?

Start by contacting:

• a private adoption practitioner who is approved to conduct homestudies and to supervise adoption placements.
• an adoption agency who is approved to facilitate private adoptions.
• an adoption licensee who is approved to facilitate private adoptions.