Some countries permit the adoption of two or more unrelated children at the same time. However, the British Columbia Government will only give permission in exceptional circumstances (for instance the adoption of siblings).
It is the policy of the BC government that children coming into a new home are spaced out by a minimum of one year.
- If adoptive parents are chosen by more than one birth mother at or around the same time, the parents may only adopt one of the children
- If an adoptive Mom becomes pregnant while awaiting a proposal, the adoption plans must be put on hold.
- If adopting parents are pursuing two routes at the same time, and one results in a proposal, the other must be put on hold
In addition, some countries have their own rules. China, for instance, requires that a full year pass after the adoption of a child, before applying to adopt another. Since there is at least a one-year wait from that point, the total wait may be over two years.