Provincial officials were in Kelowna Monday morning to announce the province is taking aspects of the adoption process online.
The aim is to streamline adoption applications and make it easier and faster for prospective parents to apply.
Prospective parents will now be able to fill out their initial application online, and go online to check the status of their application.
The new system also involves a database of prospective parents and foster children and automated matching.
After prospective parents are given clearance, there will also be features that help those looking to adopt, and potential adoptees learn more about each other.
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“Approved families can create their own family biography to help give adoptees a better sense of who they are, thereby improving the matching process,” said a Ministry of Children and Family Development media release.
Those “approved families” will also be able to see pictures and video online of children that may be good candidates for adoption into their family. In the past prospective adoptive parents would need to meet with a social worker.
The province says the online service will also allow those prospective parents with clearance to “send emails directly from a link on the child profile they are interested in to their worker.”
An online option for adoption information sessions will also be offered, eliminating the need for those considering adoption to wait for
The new online system can be accessed through: www.gov.bc.ca/adoptbckids