I am Luvia Treftlin, a social worker who works in private adoption. I am approved by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services to complete homestudies for private adoption in Ontario. This includes the adoption of children who are born in Ontario and children from other countries. 
I also work with birth parents who wish to make an adoption plan for their child. I live in Hamilton, Ontario, and am available to provide services in southern Ontario.
I have over twenty-five years of experience in social work, both in the public and private sectors. My experience in adoption includes both domestic and international adoption. As the Adoption Coordinator for a Children's Aid Society I developed adoption policies and worked directly with birth parents and adoptive families. As a private adoption worker since 1982 I have completed many adoption homestudies and worked with numerous birth parents. I also worked for a time as the adoption coordinator for Ontario and reviewed all private adoption placements in the province. I have a B.A. degree in Sociology, an honours B.S.W. in social work, a Master of Social Work, and I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW).
Helping adoptive parents to achieve their dreams of having a child is very rewarding. Assisting birth parents to make a plan for their child when they are unable to parent the child is also very rewarding. Whether I work with the adoptive parents or with the birth parents, I develop a teamwork approach to assist the parties to reach their goals. The team also includes the adoption licensee or adoption agency, other social workers, and the adoption unit at the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
Adoption is an age-old practice to ensure the continued nurturing of children. In most societies arrangements were made between birth families and others to ensure that a child would grow up safely with love.
In Ontario there are two pieces of legislation which govern adoption. The Intercountry Adoption Act regulates international adoptions which are finalized in the child's country of origin. The Family and Child's Service Act regulates adoptions which are finalized in Ontario. Adoptions completed by Children's Aid Societies come under the latter act.
All adoptions, with the exception of Ontario relative and step-parent adoptions, require a homestudy. Licensees and licensed adoption agencies are responsible for the legal aspects of the adoption. When the adoption is finalized in the child's country of origin, a Licensed International Adoption Agency facilitates the adoption. In Ontario, all adoption homestudies must be completed by an adoption practitioner who is approved by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
With international adoption, the child is selected for the adoptive family after all the documents have been received and approved in the child's country. In many cases, there is little or no information about the child's birth family.
The adoption homestudy is a process whereby the adoptive applicant or couple become educated and prepared for the many issues involved in raising an adopted child. At the same time, the adoption practitioner comes to know the adoptive applicants in order to make a professional assessment as to the applicant's suitability for adoption, to ensure that the best interests of the child are met. I ensure that the homestudy takes place in an atmosphere of warmth and respect for all parties. Confidentiality is a prime consideration.
The homestudy usually takes a minimum of five or six weeks, and includes four interviews in your home and in my home. Other components of the homestudy include reference letters, medical reports and police record checks. Once the homestudy report is completed, it is submitted to the licensee, adoption agency, or licensed international adoption agency of your choice. If you are not connected to a licensee or agency, I can assist you with that process. I will also help you to find local resources such as adoptive family groups. It is important to network with others before and after your adoption. Networking before you adopt will help you to prepare yourself for adoption, and may help you to find your adoptive child. After you adopt, you will want to network with others for ongoing support.
Making an adoption plan is a difficult and emotional decision for any birth parent. An adoption plan is a responsible and caring alternative for birthparents who are unable to raise their child. Birth parent counselling is necessary to assist the birth parents to deal with the emotional and legal aspects of making an adoption plan. The birth parents will work with a social worker who is not involved with the adoptive parents. This is required to ensure that the birth parents arrive at an independent decision in planning for their child.
With domestic adoptions, birth parents frequently have considerable input into the selection of an adoptive family. Sometimes the birth parents find an adoptive family through family members, friends, or an advertisement they have seen in the newspaper or a college magazine. Most often they select their child's adoptive parents from several non-identifying profiles of families which have been provided to them by an adoption agency or adoption licensee. Birth parents and adoptive parents often meet on a first name basis.
There may be varying degrees of openness in an adoption, depending on the wishes of the birth parents and agreement reached with the adoptive parents. Openness may range from letters and pictures exchanged through a third party, to a more open adoption where there may be a visit or visits with the child. In some cases the birth parent may not wish to meet the adoptive parents or have any further contact. The needs and wishes of all parties are considered, but the child's best interests are most important at all times.
My e-mail address is luvia@treftlin.com. Please note that this is a newer address than you may have in your addressbook. I look forward to hearing from you
Text and artwork copyright 2000 Luvia Treftlin
Design copyright 1998 - 2003, Paul F. Doering.
All rights reserved.
Latest revision to this page: October 15, 2003
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