The laws, policies and fees in the field of adoption vary by province and territory, and never stop changing, it seems. For the authoritative answer to your questions, you should turn to the Adoption Coordinator in your province. That's the official in the provincial department responsible for adoptions.

The department offers services such as:
-- completing adoption home studies.
-- placing children with approved applicants.
-- services to the child and family after placement.
-- finalizing adoptions through the provincial court.

The coordinator is the person to contact if you want to know the adoption regulations (domestic and international) in your province, or get lists of social workers doing homestudies, or licensed private adoption agencies (if these are permitted).

For more basic adoption information, don't call the Adoption Coordinator -- you should first contact the provincial support group or adoption council in your province, such as the Adoptive Families Association of British Columbia, or the Adoption Council of Ontario. They are listed in Directory of Adoption Support Groups.

In the following list the adoption coordinators are mentioned first, and then any specialists in domestic or international adoption. Please send corrections to helper@familyhelper.net.

British Columbia: Anne Clayton, Manager, Quality Management and Adoption Services, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Box 9766, Stn Prov. Govt., Victoria V8W 9S5, 250-387-2281, fax 250-356-1864. B.C. Adoption Line: 877-236-7807. --June 2004

Alberta: Anne Scully, Program Supervisor, Adoption Services, Dept. of Children's Services, Family and Social Services, 9th Floor, Seventh Street Plaza, 10030 - 107th Street, Edmonton T5J 3E4, 780-422-0178.
Adoption Services: Nadia Zubach, 422-2634.

Saskatchewan: Janice Krumenacker, Senior Program Consultant, Adoption Program, Family and Youth Services Division, Department of Community Resources and Employment, 12th Floor, 1920 Broad St., Regina S4P 3V6, 306-787-5698, 787-3648.

Manitoba: Margaret Curtis, Adoption and Perinatal, Child and Family Support, Child and Family Services, #201, 114 Garry St., Winnipeg R3C 4V5, 204-945-6962, fax 945-6717.
International Adoption Specialist: Juliette Charlebois, 945-6958. --Oct. 6, 2003

Ontario: Milica New, Director Manager, Private and International Adoption, Ministry of Children and Youth Services, 101 Bloor St. W., 6th floor,Toronto M5S 2Z7, 416-327-4736, adoption.unit@css.gov.on.ca.
Barbara Johnstone, Adoption Officer, 416-327-0341. --Feb. 5, 2013

Québec: Luce De Bellefeuille, Directeur, Secrétariat à l'adoption internationale, 201 boul. Crémazie est - RC 01, Montréal (Québec) H2M 1L2, 514-873-5226, fax 873-1709, 1-800-561-0246. SAI web site: www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/adoption
International Adoptions: Ginette Beaulne, 514-873-5226.
Adoption Coordinator, Domestic Adoptions: Odette Ouellet, 514-842-5181.

New Brunswick: Joan Mix, Adoption Service, Department of Health and Community Services, Box 5100, Fredericton E3B 5G8, 506-444-5970

Nova Scotia: Susan M. Drysdale, Manager, Adoption and Children in Care, Family and Children's Services, Department of Community Services, Box 696, Halifax B3J 2T7, 902-424-3205. --Mar. 28, 2001

Prince Edward Island: Virginia J. MacEachern, Provincial Adoption Consultant, Department of Health and Social Services, 4 Sydney St., Box 2000, Charlottetown C1A 7N8, 902-368-6514

Newfoundland: Ethel Dempsey, Child Welfare Services, Department of Social Services, Box 8700, St. John's A1B 4J6, 709-729-2668

Northwest Territories: Mary Beauchamp, Program Officer, Child Welfare, Family and Children's Services, Department of Social Services, Box 1320, Yellowknife X1A 2L9, 867-873-7943

Yukon Territory: Maxine Kehoe, Placement and Support Services Supervisor, Department of Health and Human Resources, Box 2703, H-10, Suite 201, Royal Bank Bldg., Whitehorse Y1A 2C6, 867-667-3473

CFC succeeds National Adoption Desk

CFC is in the same location as the former National Adoption Desk: 5th floor, Phase IV, Place du Portage, 140 Promenade du Portage, Hull, Que. K1A 0J9, 819-994-3831, fax 953-1115, web www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/sdd-dds/cfc/content/interAdopt.shtml. The Acting Director of CFC is Jean-Bernard Daudelin, 819-997-1461, jeanbernard.daudelin@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca.

The National Adoption Desk no longer exists, but staff from NAD moved to the unit of CFC called the Inter-country Adoption Services Unit. Manager of the Unit is Patricia Paul-Carson, 819-953-6610, fax 953-1115, patricia.paulcarson@hrdc.drhc.gc.ca.

The Unit deals with policy analysis and adoption information-sharing with provinces and the community. CFC represents the provinces and territories abroad on matters of intercountry adoption, except for Quebec, where the Secrétariat à l'adoption internationale plays this role.

CFC's web page, "Intercountry Adoptions", said on June 12, 2000 that its goal is to "strengthen families and communities by fostering optimal lifelong development." It focuses on the development of children and on "life transitions". It engages in "partnerships with the adoption community in Canada and public awareness activities regarding issues related to international adoption."

CFC says its role in intercountry adoption is to work with foreign governments and agencies, as well as domestic ones, to address common issues. It says it coordinates information exchange among provinces and territories, as well as between Canada and foreign countries. It also engages in "partnerships with the adoption community in Canada and public awareness activities regarding issues related to international adoption."

CFC facilitates the development of intercountry adoption protocols, and promotes the best interests of children adopted from another country by Canadians. It also coordinates intercountry adoption issues and information exchanges among the provinces and territories, other federal departments, foreign authorities and non-governmental organizations, and acts as the federal central authority under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, replacing NAD.

In the past the National Adoption Desk had set up adoption programs with Colombia, Haiti, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Philippines, St. Vincent, Russia and Thailand; and coordinated adoptions from Romania.

In general, parents seeking information on Canadian or overseas adoptions should contact directly their provincial adoption coordinator (see list above), rather than CFC.

For more on CFC see News at Family Helper web site, www.familyhelper.net.

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