Health and
Social Services

Adoption Subsidy

Nunavut offers financial assistance to adoptive families who have adopted a special needs child through public adoption.

If your adoptive child has special needs, contact your local child protection worker or adoption worker for more information about support for adoptive parents.

Applicants will need to include the following information in the form:

  • The child’s condition and if the child was born with the condition
  • If the condition was known before the adoption of the child
  • Why and how the care, treatment or assistance needed by the child puts financial strain on the adoptive parent
  • How much financial assistance or other assistance would lessen the financial strain on the adoptive parent(s)

The Director of Adoptions will review your application. If you are eligible for benefits, the following forms of help may be made available:

  • Medical aids
  • Training for the child or adoptive parent
  • Travel for assessment and diagnosis of the child, and for training for the child or adoptive parent
  • Rehabilitation materials and instruction
  • Personal care assistance
  • Special needs assistance
  • Tutoring, educational materials and equipment
  • Treatment costs that are not insured services
  • Help maintaining contact with the child’s birth family
  • Reference materials explaining the child’s condition
  • Respite care
  • Financial assistance if required, but not more than regular foster payments
  • Payment for telephone, fax or internet charges if they are used to contact adoption workers or the child’s birth family
  • Physical, speech, and other therapy that are not insured services
  • Any other assistance that the Director of Adoption considers necessary

Subsidy agreements are reviewed once every year.

More Information

For more information on the Adoption Subsidy Program, contact your local Social Services office.

Click here for information on how to contact your local Social Services office.

You may also contact the Deputy Director of Adoptions at the following address:

Deputy Director of Adoptions
Department of Health and Social Services
Government of Nunavut
Box 1000, Stn. 1000
Iqaluit, Nunavut
X0A 0H0
Phone: (867) 975-5781
Fax: (867) 975-5722
Email