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Infant Adoption in B.C.

Last updated on January 21, 2021

Most birth parents in B.C. planning to place their baby up for adoption work with licensed agencies.

Birth parents can decide how involved they'd like to be in the adoption process – they can help choose the adoptive family and stay in contact after the adoption process is complete.

In the case of infants, there are two options for placement in B.C.:

  • Agency placement: Birth parents place the child with an adoption agency until they find an appropriate adoptive family.
     
  • Direct placement: Birth parents work with an agency to place the child with someone they know (who is not a relative). The prospective adoptive parents will have a pre­-placement assessment completed by the adoption agency. Both the birth parents and the adoptive parents have joint guardianship until the adoption order is granted

In either case, infants are placed with licensed adoption agencies and not generally with the Province of British Columbia.

Although children may come into government care at birth, birth parents have a right to work with the B.C. Government in terms of the return of their children. 

It is always a goal of the Province of British Columbia to have an infant/child placed with their birth family, relative (or equivalent) as opposed to bringing them into government foster care.

Adoption is about love and a lasting commitment to make a difference in a child’s life. We are looking for families who can learn and grow with our kids so that they develop their full potential.