Quebec parents who want to pursue international adoption will be required to enroll and complete a preparation program starting in 2023.
Lionel Carmant, the province’s junior health minister, unveiled the new training courses, created by the ministry, Monday.
The training will be entirely virtual and consists of nine episodes. It includes readings, videos and questionnaires for potential adoptive parents to complete at their own pace.
The program aims to inform and prepare potential parents about the international adoption process.
The nine-episode guide deals with basic motivations behind adopting a child and shared experiences of children who have been adopted.
The program also addresses a child’s experience before adoption and their quest for identity after being adopted. Other episodes focus on the legal context of international adoption and the process behind it.
The preparation program is also meant to enable parents to identify their own expectations, abilities and limitations when it comes to adoption. It is also aimed at preparing them for challenges they could face, and educating them about the needs and particularities of an adopted child.
The guide will become mandatory in 2023, when the translation of the program into English is expected to be complete.
— with files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise