Children with Disabilities in Canada’s Foster and Adoption Systems
<aside>
💡
In a study conducted in 2006, 33% of Manitoba’s children in foster care had a disability, and 58% of these children had multiple disabilities.
</aside>
- The most common disabilities in children with disabilities in Canada are learning disabilities (51%), other health problems (63%), emotional conditions (29%), sensory disabilities (19%), and physical disabilities (17%).
Barriers to Adopting or Fostering Children with Disabilities
- According to Canada Adopts, special needs children are often difficult to place since they require parents with exceptional patience, stability, flexibility and parenting skills.
- Foster and adoptive parents often cite a lack of training and support as key barriers to adopting or fostering children with disabilities. Many feel unprepared to meet the complex medical and emotional needs of these children (Canadian Foster Families Association, 2017).
- Societal stigma around disabilities, coupled with a lack of public awareness, can deter prospective parents from adopting disabled children (Children’s Aid Society of Ontario, 2018).
- Limited financial and health care resources for families adopting or fostering children with disabilities are another key barrier, with some families feeling that the government’s support is inadequate to meet the needs of these children (Adoption Council of Canada, 2019).
<aside>
💡
A report from the Adoption Council of Canada (2019) highlighted that children with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience prolonged stays in the system, leading to long-term emotional and behavioural challenges.
Complex medical needs, including physical and intellectual disabilities, often create additional layers of difficulty for both social workers and adoptive families, with some parents citing a lack of appropriate placements (Ontario Child Advocate, 2017).
</aside>
Adopting a Child with a Disability
Special needs children are available through public or private adoption agencies. The process is as follows:
- Take part in an information session
- Apply for a placement
- Get an adoption worker assigned
- Complete a formal application with family and social history, references
- Complete a home study and medical examination
- Receive the approval for the placement
- Have a child placed with you