New agencies to facilitate international adoption process in New Brunswick

Tuesday, March 27, 2007 | |


New agencies to facilitate international adoption process in New Brunswick

March 27, 2007

FREDERCTON (CNB) - Non-profit community social service agencies will be established in New Brunswick to help develop more effective and efficient means of delivering services to families interested in international adoption.

Family and Community Services Minister Carmel Robichaud, today introduced amendments to the Family Services Act to modernize and streamline adoption services in New Brunswick.

"With the best interests of the child in mind, the new service delivery system for international adoptions has been developed in consultation with international adoptive parents," Robichaud said. "The non-profit community agencies will provide specific support in the delivery of adoption services."

The department plans to establish one or two non-profit community agencies as a start, with the possibility of creating more in the future if there is a need for more. These agencies will be non-profit to be in compliance with international conventions on adoption. All requests for international adoption services will be directed to the approved non-profit agencies.

The non-profit community agencies will offer various bilingual services such as completing the international adoption assessment, training for the prospective adoptive parents and post- placement adoption services.

"International adoption is a complex and lengthy process," the minister said. "While the new agencies will help facilitate the process, the Department of Family and Community Services will continue to act as the central authority in terms of provincial approval for applicants, submission of applications to foreign countries, and approval of proposed child matches."

The proposed new initiatives on adoption, including the new non-profit community agencies, should be operational within the next two years.

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