Christian Adoption Services assists 200 couples each year with their International Adoption. Families applying to our international program are not required to be of the Christian faith.

Families are required to take the Preparation for International Adoption workshop provided by the agency. The workshop teaches families how to proceed with an International Adoption, and how to meet the special requirements of parenting an internationally adopted child.

Countries that work well change from month to month, but many couples have been pleased with their experience of adoption from countries like China, Haiti, the USA, Ethiopia, and Russia. Expenses are high, usually over $15,000, with a large portion being the travel costs.

Families must complete a home assessment. Final approval to adopt is given by the Alberta government. Families must then prepare a dossier, usually with the help of a coordinator. The Alberta Government forwards the documents to the other country.

Orphanage care is not optimal and children adopted internationally are considered special needs, because they may not have been intellectually stimulated. They may also be malnourished or developmentally delayed. You will have the opportunity to read medical reports and other information about your child, before you agree to the adoption, but it is always difficult to know what special needs your child might have until you meet.

Families can research countries that work well for couples in Alberta at www.adoptionalberta.gov.ab.ca; they should also talk to other families who have adopted overseas.