"There are no healthy kids available for adoption."
CAS’s are funded by the government and as such do not charge adoptive parents for any of the services they provide. Their funding also imposes limits on the number of homestudies they are able to complete. While each CAS will make their own decisions about how to provide homestudies and training to families, they generally give preference to applicants who are interested in adopting children who present special placement challenges: older children, children with special needs, and sibling groups.
A prospective adoptive family may not work with a CAS other than their local Society to have their AdoptReady process completed; it is possible, however, for a family to become AdoptReady through the private system if they are unable to get training and a homestudy in a timely fashion through their local CAS. A family that has become AdoptReady in this way can then proceed through the public system on an equal footing. The converse is not true though; Children’s Aid Societies will not complete homestudies or provide training for families who are looking to adopt internationally or privately.
Once certified AdoptReady, a family may request to have their profile posted on the AdoptOntario databank in order to facilitate connection with children in the care of Children’s Aid Societies throughout Ontario. AdoptReady families may also view profiles of and request connection with waiting children on the AdoptOntario site, as well as attend Adoption Resource Exchange Events that occur throughout the year.
In some cases, a local CAS may also be able to facilitate voluntary placements of infants by their birth parents in the same way that a private adoption licensee or agency can. This varies from region to region dependent upon many factors such as the local availability of private adoption practitioners. A voluntary placement facilitated by a CAS takes place within the public adoption framework the same as any CAS-facilitated placement.