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Place a child for adoption

To place your child for adoption means to agree to no longer be your child’s guardian. It also means you allow the court to name one or more other people as your child’s guardian.

Usually a child’s guardians are its birth mother and biological father. However, a court order can name others, including Children’s Services, as a child’s guardians.

The information on this page is for the parents listed on the birth certificate or the people named as guardians in a court order.

Need to know

  • Adoption is a legal process that ends with the court granting an adoption order.
  • An adoption order says who the child’s guardians are and can take away guardianship rights from the child’s other guardians.
  • You can choose to place your child with family or friends or find adoptive parents through a licensed adoption agency.
  • All the child’s guardians must consent to the adoption.

Non-inclusive legal terms for parents

Family laws use binary terms and assume parenting genders. On this site, we use the terms in the laws only to be consistent. We acknowledge this language does not reflect or represent all Alberta parents who may be non-binary, transitioning, intersex, in same-sex relationships and more.

Get started

Learn the basics about who are a child’s parents and guardians before you decide to place your child for adoption.

Next, it is a good idea to talk to someone to make sure this is the right decision for you. You could talk to a family member, close friend, counsellor or adoption agency. Connect with 211 to find supports in your area.

Sometimes parents cannot agree on placing their child for adoption. If only one parent wants to place the child for adoption, then the other parent can ask the court for a parenting order that names them as the child’s sole guardian. The order can also take away guardianship rights from a parent who does not wish to be involved in the child’s life. This is a different legal process than placing the child for adoption.

If you’re not sure if you are a child’s guardian, learn more on the Being a parent or guardian page.

Find someone to adopt your child

You can choose for your child to be adopted by someone you know or a stranger. If someone you know is willing to adopt your child, this is known as a direct private adoption.

You can also work with a licensed adoption agency to help you place your child with a family. Find one by searching the list of licensed adoption agencies on the Government of Alberta’s website.

An adoption is a legal process where the adoptive parent applies to the court for an adoption order to name them as the child’s legal guardians. An adoption order will take away your guardianship rights.

It is a good idea to get legal support before you sign any legal documents that place your child for adoption or give your consent.

Each of the child’s guardians must consent to the adoption.

You will also have to share your and your family’s medical history. Doing so allows the adoptive parents to properly care for and inform the child.

If Children’s Services is involved

If Children’s Services is your child’s guardian under a permanent guardianship order, they are the ones who give consent to someone else adopting your child. Learn more on the If Children’s Services is involved page.

Stay connected to your child

If the adoptive parents agree, you may be able to stay in touch with your child. Once your child is 18 years and 6 months of age, you may be able to request more information about the adoption from the government.

The Post Adoption Registry is a government registry that keeps sealed adoption records for all children adopted in Alberta. It controls what information can be released to birth parents or adopted persons over 18 years of age.

The Ongoing Information Exchange is a program run by the Post Adoption Registry that allows adoptive parents and birth family members to keep in contact with each other by exchanging non-identifying photos, letters and cards until the child turns 18. Both the adoptive parents and the birth family members must agree to take part in the program.

Learn more on the Government of Alberta’s website.

Potential issues

You regret placing your child for adoption.

Speak to a family lawyer for advice right away. You may be able to revoke, or take back, your consent to the adoption. Or, you may need to apply to the court to reverse the adoption because doing so is in the child’s best interests.

You do not know who the child’s birth father is.

If you do not know who the child’s biological father is, then you do not have to name anyone on the child’s birth certificate. The parents listed on the birth certificate or guardians named in a court order must consent to the adoption.

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