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What is a home study? What
does the phrase 'adoption triad' mean? Not sure? Below you
will find a listing of common adoption terms and definitions.
A B
C D E F
G H I J K
L M N O
P Q R S
T U V W X Y Z
Adoptee - a
person who was adopted.
Adoption - the
legal process involving the transfer of parental rights and
obligations from birth parents to adoptive parents. Adoption
is a permanent, legally-binding arrangement by which a child
or teenager becomes a member of a new family.
Adoption agency - an
organization that is provincially licensed and responsible
for placing children with adoptive families. There are private
and public adoption agencies.
Adoption Assistance - refers
to a government benefit granted to families that adopt children
with special needs. This assistance or 'subsidy' may be a
one time payment or monthly payment to help offset the costs
of medical and dental expenses, counseling services and therapy
not covered by health insurance. The amount and types of subsidies
vary by province and case.
Adoption Order - a
document issued by the court once an adoption is finalized
that states the adoptee is the legal child of the adoptive
parents.
Adoption Licensee - an
individual or agency that arranges placement of children in
adoptive homes.
Adoptive parent - a
person who becomes a child's permanent parent through adoption.
The adoptive parents have all of the social and legal rights
and responsibilities of any parent. Note: This term should
only be used when distinguishing between birth parents and
adoptive parents.
Adoption Practitioner - this
refers to a provincially-licensed professional who counsels
both birth parents and prospective adoptive parents about
adoption. Adoption practitioners are also known as social
workers.
Adoption Records - refers
to the documents regarding an adoption.
Adoption Resource Exchange - an
event or 'conference' that facilitates the matching of children
with adoptive families.
Adoption Triad - refers
to the three parties involved in adoption: adoptees, birth
parents and adoptive parents.
Attachment - the
process by which a child will bond and form stable emotional
relationships with his/her primary caregivers. This process
begins in early infancy when the child's caregiver(s) continuously
meet his/her needs and comfort. Children that have been abandoned
and neglected or moved between several foster homes often
fail to establish these important connections. If a child
fails to establish attachment, he/she may experience difficulties
with a wide variety of social relationships; severe cases
of attachment problems result in a permanent condition called
'reactive attachment disorder' (RAD).
Birth family -
refers to people who share a child's genetic heritage.
Birth mother - A
term used to describe a biological mother who subsequently
places her child for adoption. Note: Avoid the terms 'real
mother' or 'natural mother' when referring to a birth mother.
Also, a woman should not be referred to as a birth mother
until she places her child for adoption.
Birth father - A
term used to describe a biological father.
Child Profile - A
document written and prepared for prospective adoptive parents
about a child being considered for adoption. The child's profile
contains information about the child's medical and social
history as well as any information available about the child's
biological family.
Children's Aid Society - a
public child welfare agency funded by the government and responsible
for protecting Ontario children, finding foster homes and
permanent families for children in its care who are legally
free for adoption. There are 53 Children's Aid Societies in
Ontario which are licensed by the Ministry of Children and
Youth Services.
Closed adoption - refers
to an adoption where there is no contact or identifying information
shared between families. Adoptive parents are given non-identifying
information about the child's biological family and once the
adoption has been finalized, the adoption records are sealed.
Consent form - a
legal document signed by the biological parent(s) to voluntarily
relinquish their legal guardianship and parental responsibilities.
Criminal check - a
process used by local police and/or the RCMP to determine
whether someone has a criminal record.
Custom adoption - A
privately arranged adoption between two Aboriginal families.
There are no lawyers or social workers involved; a custom
adoption is considered legal if an Adoption Commissioner,
chosen by the community, says it was done in the traditional
way, following aboriginal custom. Custom adoptions exist so
that Aboriginal children stay in their communities and retain
their cultural identities and traditions.
Custom care - A
form of kinship care specific to aboriginal communities. In
custom care, native children are cared for by relatives, members
of their band or any adult that shares a kinship bond with
the child. Custom care is ideal because the child maintains
a connection with his/her extended family and community.
Department adoption - a
term used in some provinces/territories for government adoptions
(a.k.a. public adoptions).
Disclosure - when
used in the context of adoption search and reunion, disclosure
means the release from government files of previously confidential
information. Such information would include identifying information
of biological parents.
Disruption - this
occurs when adoptive parents, birth parents or the agency
involved decides that the adoption placement is not working
out. Disrupted adoptions occur before finalization and the
child will be removed from the adoptive home and placed in
foster care or another adoptive home.
Dissolution - this
occurs after an adoption has been finalized and the decision
for an adoption dissolution is made by either the adoptive
parents or the courts. The child leaves the adoptive home
and returns to foster care or is placed with another adoptive
family.
Domestic adoption - refers
to the adoption of a child within one's country.
Dossier - when
used in the context of adoption, the term 'dossier' refers
to a collection of legal documents that have been authenticated
and translated for use in an international adoption.
Family profile - a
family profile in the adoption world refers to a type of presentation
created by, and about, the prospective adoptive family. These
family profiles typically consist of a "Dear Expectant
Parent" letter as well as several photographs of the
prospective adoptive parents and their home.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) -
is a condition in children that
is caused by the consumption of alcohol by the mother during
pregnancy. Children that have FAS are born with physical,
mental and behavioural disabilities that will become more
and more evident with time. Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE) is
a milder form of FAS.
Finalization, adoption - the
legal process in court where a Judge signs an adoption order
that declares the adoptive parents as the permanent, legal
parents of a child. Finalization is the last step in the adoption
process.
Foster to adopt / foster with a
view - a child is placed with
foster parents who have agreed to adopt the child if/when
the birth parents' right are terminated by the court. At the
time of placement, the birth parents still have parental rights
and may be appealing the court's decision. Foster to adopt
placements benefit children as they are spared additional
moves and can bond/attach with the foster/adopt parents. Foster
adopt placements are arranged by public adoption agencies
and most workers will only place children in foster/adopt
homes if there is a very high chance of them being adopted.
Foster care - a
temporary home for children in care.
Foster parents - refers
to adults that have been trained and licensed by their province
to provide a temporary home for children whose birth parents
are unable to care for them. In Canada, foster parents are
paid a daily rate for the child's room/board, allowances for
clothing, gifts, food, travel and other expenses. Foster care
rates depend on the age of the child, how many children are
in the home and a number of other factors. Foster parents
may care for particular children for several days, months
and/or years depending on the situation.
Home study - An
adoption home study is conducted by a licensed social worker
and its purpose is to assess and prepare a family that is
hoping to adopt. During the home study, the social worker
meets with the prospective parents at their home on numerous
occasions to discuss such topics as each person's childhood,
relationships, health and lifestyle, views on parenting and
adoption and other issues that may arise. At the end of the
home study process, the social worker gathers all of the information
and prepares a report with recommendations on whether or not
prospective parents should adopt and if so, the type of child
that would best match the family.
Identifying information - information
made available to the birth parents, the adoptive parents
and the adoptee about each other. i.e. full names and address.
International or 'intercountry'
adoption - a type of adoption
that involves adopting a child from outside of one's own country.
International adoptions are the most complex type of adoptions
since the laws of the adoptive parents' province, federal
immigration laws and the laws of the child's country must
all be followed and met.
Infertility - the
inability to conceive a biological child.
Kinship care - occurs
when a child is removed from the care of his/her biological
parents but is placed with a relative or someone who has a
significant relationship with the child.
Legal custody -
means a legal status created by the court that vests in a
person, department or agency the responsibility and authority
to make decisions for a child relating to their health, education
and welfare.
Legal Guardian -
A person who has the legal responsibility for providing the
care and management of a person who is incapable of administering
his or her own affairs. This may be because the person is
too young or old or has a physical, emotional or mental impairment.
Legal risk adoption -
also known as 'foster to adopt' or 'foster with a view to
adopt'. This type of adoption occurs when a child is placed
in a home as a foster child and is later adopted by his/her
foster parents. This type of adoption is a 'legal risk adoption'
because the courts have not yet made the child legally free
to be adopted and there is still a chance that he/she may
be returned to his/her biological family.
Licensed adoption agency - an
agency that has been licensed by the province to facilitate
adoption placements and monitor such placements until the
adoptions are finalized.
Life book - A
scrapbook or journal created and/or maintained by foster parents,
social workers and/or adoptive parents that chronicles a child's
life before and after he/she was adopted. These life books
contain photos, writings about the child and mementos of the
child's life so that they have memories in print. Life books
are instrumental in helping children form a healthy sense
of identity and to understand their unique history and adoption.
this refers to the
process by which social workers and adoption agencies match
an approved prospective adoptive family with a waiting child.
Mixed Bank adoption - a
type of adoption in Quebec that is comparable to the 'foster
with a view to adopt' programs in provinces like Ontario.
Social workers match children with families from the Mixed
Bank of approved waiting parents who agree to foster the children
until they are legally free to be adopted. Children are considered
a legal risk but only a small percentage of children placed
through the Mixed Bank program are returned to their biological
families.
Networking - in
the adoption world, 'networking' is the process many prospective
adoptive parents pursue in the hopes of finding potential
adoption situations on their own. Networking for adoption
is often done online, through classified advertising in newspapers,
e-mails to various organizations, print flyers distributed
at various places (i.e. university/college campuses) and of
course, word of mouth. Not all provinces and territories allow
adoption networking.
Non-identifying information -
information that does not reveal names
or anything that will help identify birth parents, adoptive
parents and/or the adoptee. Social workers provide each party
(if requested) a profile of the other parties that contains
information about each individual's social and medical histories.
Open adoption -
an adoption where the birth parent(s)
and adoptive parents know each other, exchange information
and agree to have an ongoing contact between families. This
type of contact may be through photos and letters with occasional
or numerous visits. Many families create an open adoption
agreement which details what type of contact they will share
over the years. Some families choose a semi-open adoption
where the parties involved only know each other's first names
and exchange photos and letters through a third-party like
their adoption agency. Semi-adoption arrangements may also
include visits but again, these are often arranged and held
at the adoption agency or at a location like a restaurant.
Open adoption agreement - an
open adoption agreement is a verbal or written agreement between
birth parents and adoptive parents that outlines the type
and amount of contact they agree to maintain in the future.
An open adoption agreement is not legally enforceable but
rather, a sign of good faith and trust that they will stay
in touch for the benefit of the child.
Open records - the
ability to access previously closed adoption records.
Permanency plan -
a plan for a permanent arrangement for a child in care that
will result in a permanent and loving home. When a child comes
into care, efforts are made to find the child a forever home
whether it's with his/her biological parents, extended family
or in an adoptive home.
Photo listing - created
by public adoption agencies and contains profiles of children
waiting to be adopted. These photo listings often contain
photos and a description of the child and may come in print
or digital (online).
Placement (adoption) - the
act of physically transferring a child to a foster or prospective
adoptive home.
Practitioner (adoption) - a
professional (most often social worker) licensed in Ontario
to perform home studies and supervise adoption placements.
Private adoption - an
adoption arranged by a privately funded, licensed adoption
agency. Most private adoptions cost prospective adoptive families
anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000 and most of the children adopted
are newborns or very young infants.
Private adoption agency - a
privately funded, non-government adoption agency that has
been licensed by its province and charges fees for its services.
Probation period - a
set amount of time following an adoption placement where the
family's social worker or agency monitors the adoption to
ensure the child and parents are adjusting and bonding with
each other.
Public adoption - a
type of adoption arranged by the province or territory's government
agency. Most children adopted through the public system are
older (3+) and have special needs, although there are some
infants available for adoption.
Public adoption agency -
a government agency that is publicly funded and has several
roles such as child protection and the placement of waiting
children in adoptive homes.
a legal adoption
of a child by a relative of his/her extended family (i.e.
grandparent).
Relinquishment - The
birth parent(s) consent to terminating their parental rights
and make an adoption plan for their child.
Respite care -
the temporary care provided for a child so that birth, foster
or adoptive parents have relief from parenting.
Reunion registry - a
database and service offered by an agency or the government
for adult adoptees and birth families to register personal
data and ask to be notified if other parties in that particular
adoption register. Through reunion registries, many matches
are made and often result in adoptees and birth families being
able to meet face-to-face or at the very least, exchange important
information.
Reunion -
in the adoption world, a 'reunion' occurs when the birth parent(s)
and adoptee agree to make contact and have a face-to-face
meeting. Many, but not all, adoptees search for and later
reunite with birth families so that they can learn more about
why they were adopted and gather familial social and medical
histories.
Semi-open adoptions - an
adoption where birth parents and adoptive parents know each
other's names and have agreed to exchange photos and letters
through a third party such as the agency that arranged the
adoption.
Sibling adoption - occurs
when an adoptive family agrees to adopt brothers and/or sisters
at the same time.
Special needs adoption - refers
to the adoption of a child who has special needs. Children
with 'special needs' may be older, is part of a sibling group
that needs to stay together, have been abused or neglected,
have a physical, mental or developmental disability or a child
with an unknown future as he/she may have been exposed while
in utero to alcohol or drugs. Children with special needs
require parents that have specialized parenting skills or
those who are willing to pursue assistance for the child.
Subsidy -
an adoption subsidy is often granted to families that adopt
children who have special needs. These adoption subsidies
are given to families for services and equipment that are
not covered by provincial health care plans and may be given
in a lump sum or in monthly payments.
Transracial adoption - this
refers to the adoption of a child who is racially different
than the adoptive family. The adoptive family must be prepared
to incorporate the child's heritage/culture in their lives
and to teach the child about his/her heritage so that he/she
has a strong sense of identity and self-esteem. Unfortunately,
families that adopt transracially or transculturally may face
racist attitudes in the community and should prepare themselves
for such situations.
Triad -
refers to the three groups involved in adoption - birth parents,
adoptees and adoptive parents.
Waiting children - children
in foster care that are legally free and waiting to be adopted.
Ward of the Crown (Crown Ward)
/ Permanent Ward - the legal
status of children who are in the care of their province or
territory's child welfare agency. Children who come into care
are only made wards when all attempts to reunify them with
their biological parents have failed and as a result, the
courts have terminated the birth parent's parental rights.
Once a child has been made a ward, the child welfare agency's
social workers will collaborate and set forth a permanency
plan for the child which may include adoption.
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