Adoption Policies in Canada and Norway: a comparative study of the Adoption Act in British Columbia, Canada and the Adoption Act in Norway

Abstract

In my research, I studied social work policies on adoption in British Columbia, Canada and in Norway. I focused on British Columbia (BC) because Canada has provincial as opposed to federal legislation on adoption. It is pertinent to note that the relevant demographics of the Canadian province and the nation of Norway are similar in many respects. The aim was to shed light on the social policy intentions, or the official ‘wish lists’, so to speak, of the political elites who authored BC’s Adoption Act and Norway’s Adoption Law (Adopsjonsloven). I explored the texts on adoption using document analysis, with a grounded theory framework. Analysis revealed nine distinct categories: Best Interests of the Child; Continuity of Care; Maintenance of Pre-Adoptive Relationships; Family Membership; Child’s Perspective; Identity Preservation and Aboriginal Rights; Birth Parents’ Rights; Adoptive Parents’ Rights vs. Requirements; Authority of the Court and Ministry. This research highlights important aspects of policymaking aims with regard to BC’s Adoption Act and Norway’s Adopsjonsloven. Social workers in both settings are expected to act upon social policy guidelines, and my study sought to tease out these specifics. An important aim was to obtain knowledge on existing comparative policies. With that, I hope to encourage other researchers to delve deeper into crossnational learning in the field of adoption protocols in different settings, both locally and globally.