Should Quebec lift its international adoption freeze? Parental hope, ethical concerns fuel debate
Human rights, trafficking concerns led to 2024 moratorium on most new applications
After several failed fertility attempts and multiple miscarriages, adoption may be the only path to parenthood for Kimberly Lamontagne and her husband, David Gambino.
The couple both grew up with siblings and dreamed of having a family of their own.
“We purchased this home and we envisioned having, you know, a nursery in one of the rooms,” said Lamontagne, who lives in Dorval, Que. “[We’re] hoping that still gets to happen one day.”
They’d like to pursue international adoption, but it’s currently off the table in the province.
In 2024, Quebec froze most new applications due to human rights and trafficking concerns. Nearly two years later, it still cannot say when — or if — the moratorium will be lifted, keeping prospective parents in limbo.
In an emailed statement to CBC, the central authority for all international adoptions in Quebec (SASIE), which the Health Ministry oversees, said it is reviewing international best practices and consulting with adoptees, organizations and other countries about how to better safeguard its system.
“All of this work aims to ensure that Quebec’s framework remains robust and compliant with the highest standards, and that international adoptions take place in the best interests of the child and with respect for the child’s fundamental rights,” wrote Health Ministry spokesperson Marie-Claude Lacasse.
WATCH | Debate on international adoption continues in Quebec:
Prospective parents in limbo 2 years into Quebec’s freeze on international adoptions
About two years ago, the province stopped taking most new applications to adopt children from other countries due to global human rights concerns. With no word on when — or if — the moratorium will be lifted, some potential adoptive parents say they’re running out of time and options.
As the Oct. 5 provincial election approaches, potential families hope the next government can wrap up consultations quickly and end the freeze, while some say they want Quebec to proceed cautiously.
Lamontagne understands Quebec wants to improve its system, but feels like she and her husband are running out of options — and time.
“There just seem to be a lot of roadblocks,” said Lamontagne, 38. “Will they ever lift it? I don’t know.”
International adoption on the decline for years
That feeling of frustration is echoed by dozens of couples who are waiting to see what Quebec does next, said Vickie Chiasson, president of the Association des parents adoptants du Québec.
“It’s really too long,” said Chiasson.
But even before the moratorium, the number of international adoptions was slowing down, she said.
From 1993 to 2004, Quebec welcomed between 700 and 977 children annually.
That number steadily dropped over the years as more countries tightened the rules and moved to restrict, phase out or ban foreign adoptions — a downward trend seen worldwide.
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed it down even more.
According to numbers from the Health Ministry, international adoptions fell below 100 a year in 2020. Following Quebec’s moratorium on new applications in November 2024, it dropped to just 17 last year.
Rising costs have also made international adoption a less popular avenue for many couples.
“We could see in different countries, adoption can reach like $30,000, $35,000,” said Chiasson.
Once the parents’ application was submitted to the country of origin, the waiting time ranged between two to 15 years, according to the province.
For now, potential adoptive parents in Quebec are limited to in-province adoption, where biological parents choose to put their child up for adoption and renounce their parental rights.
Not all regions publish their waiting times, but according to Chiasson, the adoption process can range from five years up to 20 years, depending on the sector.
In Lamontagne’s case, she said there are about 100 people in front of them on the waiting list.
The other option is through Quebec’s so-called “mixed bank," where children who are in the care of youth protection are placed with foster parents who hope to adopt the child if they are unable to be reunified with their biological parents.
To apply to adopt a child through the mixed bank, Lamontagne says all fertility treatments, such as IVF or artificial insemination, have to be stopped for at least 12 months.
There’s also the uncertainty of the process itself.
“There’s a possibility that child might be reunited with their family and right now, it would be hard to suffer another loss,” said Lamontagne, her voice breaking.
‘A system based on inequality’
But not everyone is upset Quebec has halted international adoptions.
Kassaye Berhanu-MacDonald was adopted from Ethiopia to Quebec in a private adoption in 1987.
She grew up in a white family and describes feeling isolated from other adoptees. She writes about trans-racial adoption, family separation and unification.
“Adoption is very political and it is a system based on inequality,” said Berhanu-MacDonald.
Many children were adopted during times of war, civil unrest or political instability when people were desperate and may not have understood what they were consenting to, she said.
Berhanu-MacDonald said many of the international adoptees she has spoken to struggle with questions about their identity and grew up being told they should feel lucky or grateful for being adopted.
“It makes me sad because I know the weight the children can carry,” said Berhanu-MacDonald.
The 1993 Hague Convention set out global protections, including strict guidelines and safeguards to prevent irregular or illegal practices in international adoption. Quebec signed on to the convention in 2006. But in the lead-up to the 2024 ban, the province acknowledged there were shortcomings.
“There’s a whole economy around procuring a child,” said Berhanu-MacDonald.
Kassaye Berhanu-MacDonald welcomes Quebec's decision to halt international adoptions. She believes the system is rooted in inequality. (Fred Dorosh)
In recent years, several European countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark have banned or are phasing out international adoptions due to past abuses.
She says Quebec may need to do the same.
“I think it’s flawed from the beginning because one of the biggest problems is there is not enough research on adoptees,” said Berhanu-MacDonald.
“What were the challenges? How are they doing? What are the recommendations?”
Centring adoptees in review process
The Health Ministry said the participation of adoptees is essential to SASIE's review process.
“Their experiences provide indispensable insight into understanding the effects of the international adoption system and guiding its evolution,” said Lacasse, the ministry’s spokesperson.
A research mandate was entrusted to the Institut universitaire Jeunes en difficulté to better understand the experiences and needs of adoptees and their families affected by illicit practices and to identify best practices for support.
“We are very sensitive to the concerns — and sometimes the distress — that adoptees may experience when they question the circumstances of their adoption or discover irregularities in their records,” wrote Lacasse in an e-mail.
In cases where concerns or evidence of illegal practices are identified, the province works with the appropriate authorities and co-operates with the countries of origin that are conducting their own investigations into past practices.
Quebec halts most international adoptions amid human trafficking concerns