Adoption statistics for British Columbia

Every year the Belonging Network compiles adoption statistics for British Columbia. The most recent statistics cover the fiscal year that ran from April 1, 2023-March 31, 2024. This page was last updated in November 2024.

About these statistics

Here are a few things you should know:

• These adoption statistics are collected and provided to the Belonging Network by British Columbia’s Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). 
• We hope this page will answer your questions, but some information isn’t tracked or isn’t available to the public. 
• We can’t provide any statistical information beyond what you see here. If you need clarification or further detail, please visit the MCFD Reporting Portal or contact MCFD directly.
• Data collection and reporting processes change over time; direct comparisons from year to year aren’t always possible. 

Statistical data about adoptions in British Columbia

The next two tables apply to adoptions from government care facilitated by MCFD

Commentary (2024)

Adoptions are decreasing

Adoption numbers have been declining for several years. The 2024 statistics show a slight increase in adoptions from 2023, but still represent an overall decrease compared to the years before that.

The number of children eligible for adoption remains steady compared to 2023, but the 2024 figures also represent a decline compared to the years before that.

For people who want to adopt, it can be hard to learn that there aren’t as many children waiting for adoption as there used to be. If these statistics bring up questions or tough feelings, our Family Support team is here for you. Please reach out to them.

It’s also good to recognize that some of the reasons for the decrease are because of positive changes in society and the child welfare system.

Reasons for the decreases

Many factors impact adoption numbers in British Columbia. Here are two of them.

There is an increased focus on prevention (providing services, supports, and interventions to prevent the need for children and youth to be in government care and to help their original families to raise them in safe, healthy home), family reunification, and other forms of permanency for all children and youth, which has led to fewer children being placed for adoption. 

There have also been recent amendments to the province’s Adoption Act and Child, Family and Community Service Act to support Indigenous jurisdiction. Although the new Act is not likely making a significant contribution to the current decline, it will in the future as more Nations assume jurisdiction. 

The modernized legislation supports Indigenous Peoples to re-establish, develop, and exercise child welfare laws for their communities and to recreate their own models for child and family service delivery, including child protection and adoption services.

Implementing these critical changes means that children and youth will maintain connections to their families and communities, thus enabling them to develop a holistic sense of self.

What “eligible for adoption” means

Children are eligible for adoption if they are in the permanent guardianship of the Director of Child Protection under the Child Family and Community Service Act, or Infants Act or under the guardianship of the Provincial Director of Adoption under the Adoption Act and adoption has been determined to be their permanency plan.

That means the courts decided to transfer guardianship (legal rights) away from the child’s parents to the government (MCFD). It also means MCFD has decided that adoption is the best permanency option for the child.

Not all children who can’t live with their biological parents are eligible for adoption. There are many other ways of creating permanency. Social workers make decisions about permanency plans based on the specific needs and circumstances of each individual child.

Sources

Ministry for Children and Family Development
Representative for Children and Youth