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November is Adoption Awareness Month. Every year Children and Family Services supports hundreds of children find their forever families through adoption or private guardianship.
Overview
In 2023, the Alberta government announced a number of new adoption supports to make adoption more affordable for Alberta families.
We are investing $4 million a year over the next 3 years on increased tax breaks, subsidies to help cover the costs of licensed agency adoptions, and increased health coverage for children adopted in Alberta.
Enhanced benefits coverage
We will cover the cost of dental, vision and other supplemental health benefits for children adopted in Alberta – regardless of whether they were adopted from government care or through a private, licensed agency in the province. Alberta will become the first and only province to do this, when this funding support becomes effective in 2024.
The benefits coverage will be available to all current and future children who achieve legal permanency through adoption or private guardianship in the government programs and children adopted through licensed adoption agencies, benefiting about 5,000 adopted children across the province. The coverage will be available to families who have no benefits coverage, or for families whose benefits plan will not cover the supplemental benefits costs for their adopted children.
More details will be posted when they are available.
Subsidies
Starting December 19, 2023, the Alberta government will provide a one-time $6,000 subsidy to help cover the costs of private adoption through licensed adoption agencies in Alberta. This subsidy is available to families with a household income less than $180,000 a year – reducing adoption costs by as much as 40% to 50% for adoptive families.
Adoption subsidy pre-screening
As of December 19, 2023, adoptive families can apply for a one-time subsidy for private adoptions completed through a licensed agency in Alberta.
The subsidy is available to those who meet all of the following criteria:
- an adoptive parent or parents with a household income of less than $180,000 a year
- an adoptive parent or parents who completed an adoption in Alberta on or after April 1, 2023
- an adoptive parent or parents whose adoption was completed through an agency licensed in Alberta.
If you are interested in the application process, fill out the pre-screening form. The Adoption and Permanency Services team will contact you to discuss the formal application process.
Pre-screening contact form
Note: This pre-screening form is not an official application.
Tax breaks
The provincial adoption expenses tax credit has been increased by almost $4,000 from $14,365 to $18,210 to help cover the costs of adoption, matching the federal tax credit. This can be claimed by families adopting locally or internationally, and will be retroactive to January 1, 2023. This means Albertans can claim this credit when they file their 2023 taxes in the spring of 2024.
The Alberta Tax Overview page has more details.
News
- Alberta unwraps adoption subsidy applications (December 19, 2023)
- Making adoption more affordable (March 22, 2023)
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Adoption