KOREA ADOPTION
Due to changes in Korean adoption law and the ratification of the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention, this program is currently on hold and we are not accepting new applications.
Adoptive Parents
To be eligible to adopt from Korea, couples must meet the following qualifications.
you must be a resident of British Columbia;
You must have been married for at least three years;
Korea does not permit same gender couples to adopt;
At least one applicant must be a Canadian citizen;
You must be prepared to instill in your child knowledge and pride in their country and culture of origin;
You must be between 25 and 44 years of age to adopt at the time of your home study approval. You cannot be more than 10 years older or younger than your spouse;
If one spouse is of Korean descent or is a Korean adoptee, or, if you have adopted from Korea before, you can be between the ages of 25 and 48 years. Preapproval from Korea is required prior to applying;
You cannot have more than 4 children already in the home;
You must have a minimum of a high school education;
You must have no criminal record;
You must be in good physical and mental health;
You must have no history of mental/psychological issues (including depression and anxiety);
You must have a body mass index of 35 or below;
You must be in a good financial situation; and
You must have no history of using cannabis or illicit substances.
Children to be adopted
In Korea, children available for adoption live with nurturing foster families and receive excellent in‑country medical care while awaiting placement with their permanent families. Most children are proposed between 7 and 15 months of age, and the average age at placement is approximately 2 years.
Families must be open to parenting a child with at least minor to moderate medical needs or prenatal risk factors. Gender preference is not permitted. As there are more boys than girls available for adoption, families should expect that most referrals will be for boys.
Children may present with a range of medical needs, from minor conditions not considered special needs to more complex medical or developmental needs.
Timing and Waiting Period
Applicants can expect to receive a proposal approximately 2 years after their application is submitted to Korea. Waiting times are estimates and subject to change without notice.
Adoptions from Korea are finalized in Korea prior to the placement of the child with the adoptive parents. It can take 9 to 12 months after acceptance of the referral for placement.
Travel
Families are required to travel to Korea twice. The first trip is for the court hearing related to the adoption order, and the second trip—approximately two months later—is for placement. Both adoptive parents must travel on the first trip. During this visit, families will meet the child and the foster family twice prior to the court hearing.
It is strongly encouraged that both adoptive parents travel to Korea for the second trip to receive custody of their child.