All rights and responsibilities existing between the child and the natural parents end when the child is adopted. The adoptive parents take on all those rights and responsibilities as if the child had been born to them. The Adoption Act replaces parts of The Child and Family Services Act and makes some changes in the way adoptions are conducted in Manitoba. The new Act allows for private, non-profit adoption agencies to be licensed to provide virtually the same adoption services as child and family services agencies.
Agencies can charge people applying to adopt a child set fees for certain adoption services.
The fees will depend on the applicants' income. The Adoption Act also changes some of the restrictions and time periods involved in completing an adoption. For example, birth parents who are minors can place their children for private adoption and have it completed without waiting until they become adults. The waiting period for obtaining consents for adoption is reduced from 10 days after the birth of a child to 48 hours. There are strict guidelines for ensuring that those involved in an adoption are given clear information about their rights and their options.