An Adoption Homestudy (S.A.F.E.) and Training (P.R.I.D.E. ) are required for first-time adoption applicants, including relative & non-relative adoptions.

These assessment and learning steps are intended to better ensure that an adoptive family is equipped to provide for an adopted child’s care and to respond to his/her particular needs.

As of 2008, in Ontario, ALL Adoption Practitioners use the same homestudy or assessment procedure known as the S.A.F.E. model. If you previously adopted, your first homestudy will be updated using the new requirements and forms.

The homestudy is a major step for an adoptive applicant. While it requires that you share personal information and complete various documents, it is also an important learning experience. Meetings with an Adoption Practitioner are conducted in a private setting and focus on assessing an applicant's eligibility & suitability to parent by adoption. You need to determine if this is the best time to pursue parenting, and/or adoptive parenting. Your Practitioner will consider your childhood history along with your past and present relationships, focusing on your strengths, and will discuss how you can address an adopted child’s physical and emotional needs.

Your Adoption Practitioner has the weighty responsibility of recommending applicants for adoption, and he/she appreciates your concerns. Your Practitioner involves you in making decisions as a team member. While most applicants meet the essential criteria to parent by adoption, some readily realize that they need to re-evaluate their plan. Adoption Practitioners will offer suggestions to help applicants to pursue alternate plans or to enable them to adopt in future.

Documentation that forms a part of the homestudy includes medical reports, police clearances, financial statement, reference letters, and child welfare checks. The Ontario and/or foreign adoption authorities may request additional information.

The homestudy must be completed by an Approved Adoption Practitioner from within Ontario. Many Practitioners are also professionally trained Social Workers, but not all Social Workers are Approved Adoption Practitioners.

For a list of Practitioners, please click here.

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A formal Update report must be completed two years after the original homestudy was approved by the Ontario Ministry in order to maintain the accuracy of the report’s recommendations, for either a domestic or international adoption. A new Letter of Recommendation/Approval must be issued for international adoptions.

An Update to the Homestudy is also required when significant change has occurred, even before the two years has lapsed; for example, if a family wants to adopt from a different country or if they have experienced a major lifestyle (health challenges; new job) change. The information needs to be clarified and possibly, a change of recommendation needs to be made.

(Parenting Resources for Information, Development & Education)

Adoptive applicants who are applying for the first time must complete a specific training program (P.R.I.D.E.), either before or during your homestudy discussions.

The program provides an overview of all types of adoptions; shares insights about open adoption; discusses ways to identify developmental delays in children, how to respond to children’s attachment challenges and teaches you ways to ease your child’s transition either from orphanage or foster care settings.

The program is delivered in a group setting led by a team of an Adoption Practitioner and Adoptive Parent/s. The program is usually provided over approximately three weekends that include a total of 27 hours of training.

Applicants may choose training at any site in Ontario. To learn about dates, locations, & fees, please visit www.adoptontario.ca.

Once your homestudy and training have been completed, you will be anxious to apply to one or more of the relevant adoption services, with a view to being chosen to parent a child by adoption.

If a private approved Adoption Practitioner completed your homestudy for either a domestic or international adoption, you will be given your homestudy report and accompanying documents. Some Children’s Aid Societies will also return your completed homestudy.

Particularly if you are adopting an older child through a Children’s Aid Society in Ontario, you may submit your homestudy to any of Ontario’s agencies. You may also want to speak with your Adoption Practitioner about AdoptOntario’s Registry, and/or plan to attend the Adoption Resource Exchange Meeting to view videos of available children in foster care in Ontario who need an adoptive family.

If you are planning to adopt domestically through an Ontario Adoption Licensee, you may consult with any of the Licensees listed on the Ontario government website. Each Licensee will indicate if they are accepting new homestudies and/or adoption profiles at this time.

If you are adopting internationally your Adoption Practitioner must submit your homestudy and documents directly to your International Adoption Licensee who forwards them to the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services for review. You must first contract with a particular Licensee to ensure that they are prepared to manage your file.

Note: Placements of children for either domestic or international adoptions must be arranged through one of Ontario’s Licensees or Children’s Aid Societies. Supervision of a child in your home is provided by an Adoption Practitioner. Legal finalization of the adoption is arranged by your Licensee or CAS. Some international adoptions require legal finalization in Ontario’s Family court while others are finalized before adoptive families leave the child’s country.

On This Page:

What is a S.A.F.E. Homestudy?

Who completes the Homestudy?

What is an Update?

What is P.R.I.D.E.?

Who delivers P.R.I.D.E.?

How to register?

After the Homestudy?

"During the Homestudy process, your Adoption Practitioner will provide you with relevant information along with thought-provoking discussions that will assist in determining your readiness to adopt a child."

"Arlene Ellen Klie is an Approved Adoption Practitioner and a Professional Social Worker, who completes adoption homestudies & provides post-placement services for domestic & international adoptions"

"First time applicants must complete a specific training program, designed to provide adoptive applicants with current information and useful parenting tools"