A Canadian Adoption Consent Form is a legal document through which a biological parent or legal guardian voluntarily relinquishes all parental rights, privileges, duties, and obligations with respect to a child, thereby allowing another person or persons to legally adopt the child. This is one of the most consequential legal documents in Canadian family law, as it permanently and irrevocably terminates the biological parent's legal relationship with the child.

Adoption in Canada is governed primarily by provincial and territorial legislation, with each jurisdiction having its own Adoption Act or equivalent statute. In Ontario, the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (S.O. 2017, c. 14, Sched. 1, Part VIII) governs adoptions, including the requirements for valid consent. In British Columbia, the Adoption Act (R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 5) provides the framework. In Alberta, adoption is governed by the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act (R.S.A. 2000, c. C-12, Part 3). In Quebec, adoption is governed by the Civil Code of Quebec (C.C.Q., art. 543-584), which operates under a civil law system distinct from the common law provinces.

At the federal level, the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families (S.C. 2019, c. 24), which came into force on January 1, 2020, establishes national principles and standards for child and family services involving Indigenous children. This legislation affirms the inherent right of Indigenous peoples, communities, and nations to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services, and establishes that Indigenous children have the right to be raised in their own cultures. When an adoption involves an Indigenous child, additional requirements apply, including notification of the applicable Indigenous governing body and priority placement with family members or community members.

The consent to adoption must be given freely, voluntarily, and without coercion. Every province provides a mandatory revocation period during which the consenting parent may withdraw their consent. This period varies from 10 days in Alberta to 30 days in British Columbia and Quebec. After the revocation period expires, the consent becomes final and irrevocable, except in cases of fraud, duress, or coercion. The consenting parent has the right to independent legal advice before signing, and the consent must be properly witnessed as required by the applicable provincial legislation.

A Canadian Adoption Consent Form is needed whenever a biological parent or legal guardian wishes to voluntarily relinquish their parental rights to allow another person or persons to legally adopt their child. The form is required in several distinct adoption scenarios, each governed by the applicable provincial Adoption Act.

The most common situation is a private or independent adoption, where the biological parent places the child directly with known adoptive parents, often through a licensed adoption practitioner or solicitor. In this case, both biological parents (mother and father) must provide consent unless one parent's consent has been dispensed with by a court order. In Ontario, the CYFSA requires that a birth parent's consent cannot be given until after the child is at least 7 days old, ensuring that the consenting parent has had time to recover from childbirth and make an informed decision.

Adoption consent is also needed in agency adoptions, where a licensed adoption agency (such as a Children's Aid Society in Ontario) facilitates the placement. The agency conducts home studies, matches the child with prospective adoptive parents, and oversees the consent and placement process. In this context, the consent may be given to the director of the agency rather than to specific adoptive parents.

Stepparent adoptions require consent from the biological parent who is not married to the stepparent. This is one of the most common types of adoption in Canada and typically involves the biological parent who is not living with the child consenting to the stepparent's adoption, thereby terminating their own parental rights. If the biological parent does not consent, the stepparent must apply to the court to dispense with consent.

Relative or kinship adoptions, where a family member such as a grandparent, aunt, or uncle adopts the child, also require consent from the biological parents. International adoptions, governed by the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (to which Canada is a signatory), require consent from the biological parents in the child's country of origin, with additional requirements under provincial legislation.

This form is also needed when a Children's Aid Society has obtained a Crown wardship order and is placing the child for adoption. In such cases, the biological parent's consent may already have been dispensed with by the court, and the CAS provides consent on behalf of the child. However, if the biological parent wishes to voluntarily consent to the adoption, this form would be used.

A valid Canadian Adoption Consent Form must contain several essential elements to be legally effective under provincial adoption legislation. The form must identify the consenting parent with full legal name, date of birth, residential address, relationship to the child, and government-issued identification. The consenting parent's identity must be verified by the witness to ensure that the person signing is indeed the biological parent or legal guardian.

The child must be fully identified with their full legal name as it appears on the birth certificate, date of birth, place of birth, gender, and birth certificate registration number. This information ensures that there is no ambiguity about which child is the subject of the adoption consent. The adoptive parent or parents must be identified with full legal names and address, along with the type of adoption and the name of any licensed adoption agency involved.

The consent and relinquishment clause is the core of the document. It must clearly state that the consenting parent voluntarily, freely, knowingly, and permanently consents to the adoption and relinquishes all parental rights. The document must specify that upon the granting of a final adoption order, all parental rights are permanently terminated, including decision-making responsibility, parenting time, contact, inheritance rights, and the right to notice of future proceedings. The consenting parent must consent to the issuance of a new birth certificate showing the adoptive parents.

The acknowledgments and representations section must confirm that consent is given without coercion, duress, or undue influence, that the consenting parent is of sound mind, that they have been advised of their right to independent legal counsel, and that they have not received improper payments in exchange for consent. The form must include an Indigenous heritage disclosure section in compliance with the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families (S.C. 2019, c. 24).

The revocation rights section must clearly state the applicable revocation period under provincial legislation, the method of revocation (written notice), and the person or agency to whom revocation must be delivered. Post-adoption contact provisions (open adoption) should be included if the parties have agreed to ongoing contact. The governing law clause must reference the applicable provincial adoption legislation. The consent must be properly witnessed as required by the provincial statute, with the witness confirming the consenting parent's identity and the voluntary nature of the consent.