Private Direct Adoption in Alberta
Adopting a Child From Within Your Family or Community in Alberta?
If a person has agreed to place their child with someone they know from within their family or direct social circle, you will participate in “The Private Direct Adoption Program”.
“Private Direct” placement refers to adoptions where:
- A pregnant person or a person who is the parent(s) of a minor child decides to place that child for adoption
- The pregnant person or parent(s) chooses somebody from within their family or social circle with whom to place the child
- The person(s) they have chosen agrees to be placed with the child
- The adopting parties reside within the jurisdiction of the Alberta Courts
The principle behind Private Direct Adoption in Alberta is that parties themselves are capable and should be trusted to choose adopting parents from among people they know. When properly applied, these situations can prove ideal, ensuring that children remain within their extended families, social circle, community and/or culture
.
Be Careful That You Are Not Breaking the Law!
The declining number of available children (particularly newborns) combined with lower fertility among couples who now tend to wait longer to start families, has made adoptable babies very sought after.
Human beings, however, should never be reduced to the status of commodity. This is especially true of human children who are for many, many years, dependent on the love and good will of adults for their survival and development.
For this reason, the international community (The Hague Convention) has established principles prohibiting activities that might either lead to, or be perceived as, the human trafficking of children. Canada and Alberta are among jurisdictions that have entrenched these principles in their domestic law.
When engaging in activities that might lead to the filing of a Private Direct Adoption, the participating parties must not:
- Engage in any kind of solicitation (You cannot place an advertisement stating you are looking to adopt a child.)
- Offer any kind of an inducement (In other words, you cannot offer to provide any kind of financial or material encouragement or reward to someone in an attempt to have them place their child with you; this includes prenatal vitamins!)
- Use any kind of force (or threat of force) or otherwise harass or menace anybody in an attempt to have them place their child with you.
- Cannot charge any fee or ask or receive any financial or material benefit for introducing someone looking to place a child and prospective adopting parents – ONLY a licensed adoption agency can facilitate an adoption!
Evidence that any of these activities can lead to serious legal repercussions for the individuals involved and potentially affect the legitimacy of the adoption itself. If you have any questions or concerns about Private Direct Adoption, don’t hesitate to contact Small Miracles Adoption.