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What is Belonging Network?
Belonging Network is a British Columbia–based organization, formerly the Adoptive Families Association of BC, that provides support, learning and connection for adoptive and permanency families and for youth who have come through government care. Its site frames that work around a simple idea — "Belonging for all" — and organizes itself by where someone is in their journey rather than by service type alone.
Who it serves
The homepage lists distinct audiences: new caregivers, youth in and from care, people considering adoption, Indigenous families, waiting families, relatives raising relatives, adoptive families and guardianship families. That spread matters, because the practical questions differ sharply between, say, a couple exploring infant adoption and a grandparent who has taken on kinship care.
What the site covers
- Adoption and permanency pathways — infant adoption, adoption from BC foster care, international adoption, adoption by a relative or step-parent, guardianship, kinship care, Indigenous customary care and foster care.
- Process information — eligibility, costs and timeline, a step-by-step adoption guide, adoption statistics, FAQs and a glossary.
- Learning — resources by topic, toolkits, an introduction to adoption and permanency, and LEAP (Learning for Everyone in Adoption and Permanency).
- Support — one-to-one family support, online support groups, permanency support, and community groups and resources.
- For youth — rights information, the AgedOut.com resource, life skills, bursaries and youth support.
A practical way to use it
Start with the audience label that matches your situation, not with the general adoption section. A prospective adoptive parent in BC who is weighing foster-care adoption against international adoption will get more from the pathway pages plus the eligibility, costs and timeline material than from browsing support groups first. Someone already parenting an adopted child, or a young person recently out of care, is more likely to want the support and youth sections directly.
For comparison, BC Adoption is the provincial government's adoption information site, useful for the official process and registration side, while Belonging Network's emphasis is on peer connection and learning alongside that.
How do I start the adoption process in British Columbia, and what are the eligibility, cost, and timeline requirements?
Start by choosing the pathway that fits your situation, then work through the province's assessment process rather than gathering general information first. The Belonging Network (formerly the Adoptive Families Association of BC) organizes its guidance around exactly these routes: infant adoption, adoption from BC foster care, international adoption, and adoption by a relative or step-parent, alongside guardianship, kinship care, Indigenous customary care, and foster care. For most people in BC, the practical first step is to contact the Ministry of Children and Family Development (or a delegated Indigenous agency, where applicable) to begin the adoption education and home study process.
The four main routes
| Route | Who it typically suits | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Infant adoption (domestic) | Families open to an open adoption and a waiting period measured in years | Provincial registration, education, home study, then matching with expectant parents |
| Adoption from BC foster care | Families open to older children, sibling groups, or children with support needs | Child-specific matching; ongoing post-adoption supports often available |
| International adoption | Families who meet both BC and the child's country requirements | Longer timelines, country-specific rules, significant documentation |
| Relative or step-parent adoption | Kin and blended families formalizing an existing relationship | A narrower process focused on the existing care arrangement |
Eligibility
The province assesses prospective adoptive parents on capacity to parent, stability, health, and readiness rather than on income or marital status alone. Single people, common-law and married couples, and LGBTQ+ applicants can apply. A criminal record check, references, medical information, and a home safety review are standard. The Belonging Network's "Eligibility, costs, & timeline" page and its glossary are useful for checking specifics before you commit.
Cost
Domestic adoption of a child from government care in BC generally involves minimal direct cost to the family; the main investment is time and the education and home study requirements. International adoption is the costly route, with agency fees, foreign program fees, travel, and legalization of documents. Private infant adoption in Canada can also involve legal and agency costs. Treat any figure you see online as indicative only and confirm current fees with the ministry or agency handling your file.
Timeline
Expect months, not weeks, for education and home study approval, and longer for placement. Foster-care adoption timelines depend on matching a specific child; infant adoption waits are typically multi-year; international timelines vary by country and can shift with policy changes. The Belonging Network's step-by-step page lays out the sequence so you can see where you are at any point.
A useful first move
Attend a free provincial adoption information session, then request the ministry's information package. In parallel, look at the Belonging Network's support options — one-to-one family support, online support groups, and the LEAP learning program — because the waiting and assessment period is where peer support makes the biggest difference. Youth in and from care have their own resources through AgedOut.com, linked from the same site.
What support services does Belonging Network offer to adoptive and permanency families, such as one-to-one support or online groups?
Belonging Network offers both one-to-one support and online support groups, along with community groups and other resources for adoptive and permanency families in BC. Its support section lists:
- One-to-one family support — individual help for families navigating adoption or permanency.
- Online support groups — group connection in a virtual setting.
- Permanency Support — a dedicated stream of help around permanency.
- Community groups and resources — local groups and further materials.
Beyond direct support, the site organizes help by audience, with entry points for new caregivers, waiting families, relatives raising relatives, adoptive families, guardianship families, Indigenous families, and youth in and from care. It also provides learning through resources by topic, toolkits, an introduction to adoption and permanency, and the LEAP program (Learning for Everyone in Adoption and Permanency). For youth, there are pages on rights, life skills, bursaries, and youth support.
Choosing the right service
The best starting point depends on your situation. If you have a specific question or are early in the process, one-to-one support gives you a direct conversation. If you want to hear from others in similar circumstances, an online or community group may fit better. Families further along in a guardianship or permanency arrangement may find the permanency-focused support and topic resources most relevant.
As a next step, browse the "Get support" section and identify whether your need is individual guidance or peer connection, then follow the matching option.
What resources and rights are available for youth transitioning out of government care in BC?
Youth in and from government care in BC can use the Belonging Network's youth section for rights information, life-skills help, bursaries and support connections, with AgedOut.com as its linked youth-focused resource. The site is run by the Belonging Network (formerly the Adoptive Families Association of BC) and frames these tools around belonging and permanency, so it suits young people preparing to live independently as well as caregivers and relatives supporting them.
What the youth section covers
- Know your rights: plain-language guidance on what youth in and from care are entitled to.
- AgedOut.com: a dedicated site for youth transitioning from government care, useful for peer stories and practical navigation.
- Life skills: preparation for independent living, such as budgeting and daily decision-making.
- Bursaries: education funding leads for youth from care.
- Youth support: connection to people and services rather than information alone.
How to use it
Start with the rights pages to understand your entitlements, then move to life skills and bursaries when planning next steps. If you are a caregiver or relative, the same section helps you point a young person toward support without doing everything for them.
Practical next step
For a young person turning 19 and leaving care, a realistic sequence is: confirm rights and entitlements, check bursary options before a program start date, then join a youth support connection so the transition is not handled alone. Pair this with BC government care-planning information, since the Belonging Network is a support and learning organization rather than the body that administers leaving-care benefits.
How does Belonging Network support Indigenous families and customary care?
The Belonging Network lists Indigenous families as one of the groups it serves, and Indigenous customary care appears in its adoption and permanency section alongside guardianship, kinship care and foster care. That placement signals the site treats customary care as part of the broader permanency picture rather than a separate program area.
What the site shows
- A dedicated audience entry point. "Indigenous families" is one of the caregiver and family paths on the homepage, so Indigenous families can start from a page aimed at them rather than filtering through general adoption content.
- Customary care in context. Because customary care sits beside kinship care and guardianship, readers can compare it with other permanency arrangements in one place.
- A stated commitment. The site includes a "commitment to truth and reconciliation" page, which sets the tone for how the organization frames its work with Indigenous communities.
- Support channels open to these families. One-to-one family support, online support groups, community groups and learning opportunities are described as available across the permanency journey.
What the site does not spell out
The homepage excerpt does not detail how customary care is administered, who is eligible, or how it differs procedurally from adoption or guardianship in BC. Families needing that level of detail should go to the customary care page directly, or use the one-to-one support service to ask about their specific situation.
Practical next step
If you are a relative or community member exploring customary care for a child, start with the customary care page to understand the arrangement, then book one-to-one family support to talk through your circumstances. If you are earlier in the process and unsure which pathway fits, the glossary and FAQ pages are the quickest way to orient yourself before contacting anyone.
For official information on Indigenous child welfare and customary care in the province, compare what you find with Province of British Columbia.
What is the difference between adoption, guardianship, kinship care, and foster care as permanency options?
Adoption, guardianship, kinship care and foster care differ mainly in the legal relationship they create between a child and their caregiver, and in how permanent that relationship is meant to be. The Belonging Network, which serves adoptive and permanency families and youth from government care in BC, treats all four as "permanency options" but they are not interchangeable.
How the options compare
| Option | Legal relationship | Typical permanency | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adoption | Caregiver becomes the child's legal parent; birth parents' rights are transferred | Intended to be permanent and lifelong | Families able to make a full, permanent commitment, including infant, foster-care, international and relative/step-parent adoption |
| Guardianship | Caregiver holds legal authority to care for the child without becoming a legal parent | Usually long-term, sometimes until adulthood | Caregivers who want lasting security while preserving the child's legal ties to birth family |
| Kinship care | A relative or close person raises the child, with or without formal legal status | Can be temporary or permanent depending on arrangements | Extended family stepping in, which may or may not involve a formal transfer of authority |
| Foster care | The state retains legal responsibility; the caregiver is a paid, licensed provider | Often temporary by design | Children needing a safe place while a longer-term plan is decided |
Practical differences that matter
The biggest trade-off is between legal permanence and keeping birth-family connections. Adoption gives the strongest legal permanence but reshapes the child's legal identity and family record. Guardianship and kinship care can preserve those ties while still giving a caregiver authority to make decisions. Foster care is the least permanent and usually the least secure for a child, but it is the entry point for many children who later move to another option.
The Belonging Network's site organises guidance around these paths, including separate sections on adoption types, guardianship, kinship care, Indigenous customary care and foster care, plus an eligibility, costs and timeline page and a step-by-step adoption guide. Its youth section, including AgedOut.com, addresses young people transitioning from government care.
A useful next step
Start by asking what the child needs most: a legally permanent parent, or a stable home that keeps birth-family relationships intact. That answer usually narrows the choice. In BC, eligibility and process details vary by option, so check the Belonging Network's pages on the specific path and the eligibility and timeline guidance before committing. Belonging Network
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