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The Home of the Guardian Angel is an approved child placement agency approved through the Department of Community Services with a focus on voluntary infant placement. At any time, this Agency welcomes calls and inquiries regarding adoption through the Home of the Guardian Angel by calling 422-7964 Extension 308 and speaking with the adoption social worker.

The length of wait time to adopt depends entirely on the number and needs of children available for adoption.  It is reasonable to expect to wait three to five years and possibly longer from the date of registration.  The time frame may be shortened based on the needs of children to be placed.

Requirement for Adoption at the Home of the Guardian Angel

1. May be a single person or a couple
2. A Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
3. Must be 19 years of age or over
4.  

The Adoption Process

While the Home of the Guardian Angel is a recognized child placing agency, the adoption process actually begins with pre-assessment education/training facilitated by the Department of Community Services. This training may be accessed by calling 1-866-259-7780 which is an information and referral service. Staff from the toll free line will then forward referrals to adoption social workers facilitating this training, who are directed to respond within10 working days.

Families will initially be directed to attend an Information Session which outlines basic information regarding adoption, eligibility, and the adoption process, including the home assessment process. As well, an intake is completed and basic eligibility is established. Eligibility to adopt in nova Scotia stipulates that applicants must be over nineteen years of age; must be a Canadian citizen or have Permanent Resident Status; may be single, married, common law, or same sex applicant[s]; and must accept and support an environment free of abuse and physical discipline.

After completion of the Information Session, families are registered to attend training which is held regularly and may be attended on either week nights or on weekends. This training includes a number of modules with each module focusing on a theme pertinent to the adoption of children.

Once training is completed families are assigned an adoption social worker to complete their Adoption Home Study Report. At this point in the process families may experience a waiting period before a social worker begins their assessment. This may be due to a number of factors including numbers of families waiting for assessment and the workload of social workers.

In the past, families were either approved to adopt children through the Department of Community Services or through the Home of the Guardian Angel and had their names entered on only one agency roster. Currently, families may adopt through a Department District Office in the area or through the Home, and be on the rosters of both agencies simultaneously. [Applicants wishing to adopt an infant or pre-school child would be an example of a family who might ask to be referred to two agencies.]

Once families have their Adoption Home Study Report completed and are approved, they are then prospective adoptive families available for placement of an infant or children for whom they were approved.

As the process unfolds at the Home of the Guardian Angel, expectant parents may contact the Agency in order to receive counseling regarding their options after their baby is born. Some may choose to parent their child while others may choose to make an adoption plan. Those choosing the latter plan, do so voluntarily, and are encouraged to take an active role in the selection of adoptive parents for their child.

There are many factors which birth parents may take into consideration when selecting an adoptive family which could include: age, race, religion, location [rural or urban dwelling], and family configuration. [families who have children or who are childless, or families who have one or two parents.]

While You Are Waiting

At the Home of the Guardian Angel, placement of an infant with a family may occur within a year or not for a few years, as waiting times are unpredictable.

While you are waiting, you may use this time to learn more about adoption and adoption issues. This can be done through reading and research, as well as by networking with other families who have adopted and consulting with the adoption social worker. To access information, there are some excellent books at the public libraries, as well as information on the internet. In addition, there are reading lists available for those who wish to have reading references.

Adoption

There is a 17-day waiting period between the child's birth and earliest possible time of placement for adoption. Usually the child spends a day or two at the hospital and is then placed with a foster family. These are families trained and approved by the Department of Community Services to provide this care.

Selection

Birth parents can select adoptive parents prior to or following the birth of their child. Birth parents are usually given a minimum of three letters of introduction from prospective adoptive families to preview. If more information is needed, birth parents are invited to meet with the adoptive parents' social worker who will provide the additional information required.

The adoptive parents generally only receive 24 - 48 hours notice of the placement. Special circumstances may warrant an earlier meeting. The adoptive parents are advised of the birth parents' desire for them to parent their child and are verbally provided a non-identifying social/medical history of the child and his or her birth parents. If both the adopting family and birth parents feel comfortable, birth parents meet the chosen adoptive parents the day before or on day 17. This face to face meeting is usually 1 to 1.5 hours in length and is held at the Home of the Guardian Angel.  The communication agreement is finalized at this time.

Placement Day

When the birth parent(s) have signed adoption consents and the adoptive parents have signed their paperwork, including the Notice of Proposed Adoption, the child is placed with the adoptive family. At that time, the adoptive family will receive a copy of the child’s completed non-identifying background history. The child is discharged to the adoptive parents' care, but the agency remains legally responsible for the child until the adoption is finalized.

Follow Up

The adoption social worker will have approximately four home visits with the child in the adoptive parents' home prior to recommending the finalization of the adoption to the Minister of the Department of Community Services. Finalization cannot occur until the child has been in the adoptive home for 6 months. After the 6 month finalization report has been completed and if the adoption is recommended, the case will proceed to the Family Court (usually between the 9th and 12th month). The adoptive family is responsible for securing a lawyer and ensuring that the adoption is finalized in court. A copy of the signed Adoption Order will be forwarded to the parents.