sai_guide_evaluation_psychosociale.pdf	161,4 KB

Psychosocial assessment is a key part of the adoption process. It allows the authorities responsible for adoption in Québec and in the children’s country of origin to ensure that adoption is in the best interest of the children and that the prospective parents are qualified and able to take care of them.

Psychosocial assessment is required under the Youth Protection Act and is part of Québec’s commitment to the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The assessment must therefore be positive in order for the adoption process to go forward.

Psychosocial assessment of an individual or couple wishing to adopt children from outside Québec is carried out according to criteria established jointly by Ordre des psychologues du Québec, Ordre professionnel des travailleurs sociaux du Québec, the Directors of Youth Protection, and the Minister of Health and Social Services. These criteria are established based on information that must be passed on by Secrétariat à l'adoption internationale to the main authorities in the children’s country of origin.

If the prospective adoption involves children in a country where the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is in effect, the psychosocial assessment of the person seeking to adopt the child is carried out either by a professional mandated by the Director of Youth Protection.

However, for adoption outside Québec involving a country not party to the Convention, the assessment may be carried out privately by a member of Ordre des psychologues du Québec or Ordre professionnel des travailleurs sociaux du Québec. The prospective adopter then chooses an evaluator from a list available either from these professional organizations or from Secrétariat à l'adoption. In certain cases, however, countries require that psychosocial assessment be carried out under the supervision of government authorities, that is, either the Director of Youth Protection or a professional mandated by the director.

The prospective adopter will be responsible for all assessment costs, regardless of the evaluator.

Assessment criteria

The goal of the evaluator is to draw a conclusion regarding the international adoption applicant’s parenting ability. Through interviews and home visits, the evaluator will assemble the most accurate portrait possible of the applicant’s family environment. The evaluator must look at the applicant’s motivations, socioeconomic and cultural situation, personal history, and aptitude to adopt and parent children from another country. The report produced by the evaluator will include a recommendation regarding the prospective adoption. The report must also discuss applicants’ specific strengths and weaknesses in order to help them steer clear of potential pitfalls and support them before and after the child arrives.

For candidates seeking to adopt, the assessment is a valuable opportunity to think about the project and discuss it with an expert. The assessment should provide a chance for them to make sure that they have the character, capacity, and desire to accept a child whose life story, however brief, may have been difficult. The assessment must highlight their ability to ensure the child’s overall development.

The profile of children currently available for international adoption may also require evaluators to talk openly and honestly with applicants about whether or not they might be able to adopt an older child, a pair of siblings, or a child with special needs.