Independent International
Adoption in Quebec

    In Quebec, private or independent adoption refers to all international adoptions where the person(s) adopting is solely responsible for doing all the legwork. In an independent adoption, adopters use personal contacts abroad but must respect standard Quebec adoption procedures, as prescribed by Quebec law, with regard to all adoptions outside Quebec.

Note that independent or private domestic adoption in Quebec is ILLEGAL; all adoptions of Quebec's children are done through the government social services. Adoptions in other Canadian provinces are, as the law states, "outside of Quebec", so they are done under the same legal rules as international adoptions outside Canada.

Independent international adoption is theoretically possible in all countries except for countries like India, China, Belarus, Thailand, Korea, Bolivia and Colombia, whose law stipulates that adoptions must be conducted through a licensed facilitator. Other countries, however, do not formally prohibit independent adoption but prefer adoptions through licensed facilitators.

Since February 1st, 2006, an Order defines exactly the circumstances and the steps to do a legal private international adoption in Québec. These are very restrictive, much more than in any other province in Canada. If you are used to private adoption outside Quebec, forget what you know if you want to adopt from Québec. NO other situation will be accepted than the ones described in the order. If your situation is not covered in the Order, just forget it. you won't be allowed to adopt privately.

Here is the text of this Order:

Order respecting the adoption without a certified body of a child domiciled outside Québec by a person domiciled in Québec

Home Page

Top of the page

©  Copyright 1997- Gilles Breton Tous droits réservés.