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Media Contacts

Ministry of Children and Family Development

Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 818-6372

Backgrounders

Facts about adoption, permanent guardianship
  • Adoption and permanent guardianship are legal terms. Adoption provides children with the same legal rights as biological children, including inheritance rights. Parents of adoptive children may be eligible for post-adoption assistance through the ministry and for the Canada Child Benefit. Permanent guardianship often takes place when relatives step in to care for children. The guardianship ends when a child turns 19.
  • Permanent guardians may be eligible for financial support to cover the basic costs of caring for the child. Permanent guardianship is typically a quicker process than adoption. It is also less likely to trigger an association with Canada’s colonial history, which adoption can for many Indigenous communities: https://www.bcadoption.com/resources/articles/guardianship-different-option-permanency
  • As of Sept. 30, 2019, there were 751 children in B.C. who have adoption as their permanency plan and are waiting for the stability and care of an adoptive family, including teenagers, those with special needs and sibling groups.
  • Over the last 12 months (ending September 2019), 221 children and youth in care were placed for adoption (85 Indigenous and 136 non-Indigenous). There were also 455 new transfers of custody through permanent guardianship agreements (233 Indigenous and 222 non-Indigenous).