Between Steps: Working Together Toward What’s Next 

Welcome to the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026! We are delighted to invite you back to the Centennial College Event Center (Progress Campus) for another enriching year of connection and resource sharing. Join us on April 12th for an engaging afternoon designed for prospective adoptive parents, featuring valuable opportunities to expand your knowledge, connect with participating Children’s Aid Societies, and explore adoption-related resources. 

Here is a breakdown of what prospective adoptive parents can expect:

• Enriching education for all attendees. If you cannot join us in person, no need to worry, we have you covered! All live educational presentations will be pre-recorded and posted on the Virtual Venue (third party event site) in the days following the Provincial ARE.
• One-on-one conversations with adoption workers. On April 12th, in person conversations will take place and on April 15th and 16th  from 5-8PM the virtual conversations will continue on our Virtual Venue (please see the ‘Joining from Afar?’ tab for more information).
• A variety of adoption-related resources. If you will be joining us in person, take a moment to connect with the representatives in the Resource Village. The Virtual Venue will also house several resources for you to discover. 

On behalf of the Adoption Council of Ontario (ACO), we thank you for your interest in this Provincial ARE!

This event is supported by the ACO, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies, and Private Practitioners.

Event Overview

Date: Sunday, April 12th, 2026

Time: 12:00 – 5:00 PM (Registration Opens at 11:30 AM)

Venue: Centennial College Event Centre (937 Progress Ave., 8th Floor, Scarborough, ON M1G 3T8)

Event Notices

Please see the event notice below. 

*Images are stock photos and not of actual children and youth being profiled. Important Event Notice If you have received an email from PheedLoop (our Virtual Venue provider) with the subject line “PheedLoop Password” or “Access Information For the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026”, please ignore and delete these emails. Instead, follow the steps below to find your correct PIN and access the Virtual Venue. Click here to log in to your AdoptOntario account Once logged in, click on My Adoption Events Search for the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026 event in the list Take note of your PIN and the email address (image below). Please ensure you are using this PIN and email address and not the one from the email. Click the Join Webcast button You will be redirected to the Virtual Venue login page, where you can add your email address and PIN Click Login You are now accessing the Virtual Venue We encourage everyone to log on ahead of the event to ensure you don’t run into any technical issues as the event begins.      Need Assistance? If you do have any technical issues accessing the event, please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected].  Sincerely, The ARE & AdoptOntario Team This announcement is produced by the AdoptOntario program for prospective adoptive families and adoption workers and practitioners in Ontario. The information is intended to educate those interested in adoption about news, events and programs pertinent to their practice and/or journey. AdoptOntario is a program operated by the Adoption Council of Ontario, funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Copyright 2026 AdoptOntario. All Rights Reserved

Event Agenda

We have a full afternoon planned for prospective adoptive parents! To help you prepare, please review the important upcoming dates and event agenda below.

Important Upcoming Dates

• ARE Online Platform Launch and Close Date*: April 4th-April 30th
• Virtual Venue (third party event site) Launch and Close Date: April 10th-May 8th
• Event Day: April 12th, from 12:00 – 5:00 PM (Registration Opens at 11:30 AM)
• Virtual One-On-One Conversations with Adoption Workers: April 15th and 16th, from 5:00 – 8:00 PM
• Recorded Educational Presentations Posted (on the Virtual Venue): Keynotes and presentations will be shared in the days following the live event

*The Online Platform is accessible to AdoptReady & non-AdoptReady attendees but it is tiered (non-AdoptReady registrants cannot see any photos or videos of the children and youth)

Event Agenda

First In-Person ARE? Let’s chat!

Following the keynote address & panel discussion, first-time attendees will be given the opportunity to remain in the presentation room with Adopt Ontario Staff to discuss navigating the ARE and to have any questions answered. Once you feel ready, you can then proceed to connect with CAS workers and peruse the Resource Village from 2-5PM.

*NEW* Enjoy Our Connect & Reflect Room

New for the 2026 Provincial ARE, a ‘Connect & Reflect’ room for first-time and returning attendees is located right off of the elevators to the left (next to the ARE Booth). The Connect & Reflect room is where you can meet and network with other adoptive families or just enjoy a quiet space to collect your thoughts.

Look for AdoptOntario Staff in the Bright Yellow Lanyards!

All AdoptOntario professionals will be easy to spot at this event wearing bright yellow lanyards and smiles, so please feel free to connect with us directly at any time during the event with your questions, concerns or feedback.

Directions & Maps

This year, the Provincial ARE will be hosted at Centennial College Event Centre (Progress Campus). 

Address

Centennial College Event Centre (937 Progress Ave., 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M1G 3T8). It is located at the new School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts.

Taking Transit?

Plan your TTC trip here. Plan your GO Transit trip here.

Driving?

Paid parking is available on-site (approximately $12). Attendees of the Provincial ARE can park in Lot 2 or 3, or alternatively, if the parking lot is full, attendees can park at 940 Progress Avenue and walk across Progress Avenue to arrive at the Event Centre. 

Where to Stay & Eat

At this Provincial ARE, we will provide attendees with coffee, tea and cookies. If you are interested in purchasing lunch or dinner, food options are nearby.

Restaurants of all variety are located in every direction around the college, including the Scarborough Town Center (approximately 4kms from the Event Center).

Stay

To explore nearby stay options, you can click here.

Joining from Afar?

Attendees who cannot join us in person on April 12th for this year’s event can still participate virtually in a couple of ways. Here’s how:

Educational Recordings

All live educational presentations will be recorded and made available through the Virtual Venue in the days following the event. All registered attendees can access these recordings until May 8th.

One-on-One Virtual Conversations with Participating Adoption Workers

We recognize how important the conversations with adoption workers are. That is why we are opening the one-on-one chat function on the Virtual Venue for two evenings following the event (April 15th and 16th, from 5:00 – 8:00 PM). Here, prospective adoptive parents can send direct messages and organize a time to speak to adoption workers from wherever you are located in the province. If you cannot connect with an adoption worker during the dates mentioned above, you can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form and include your questions about the specific child, youth or sibling group directly on the form.

To learn more about accessing and using the Virtual Venue, please navigate to the ‘Virtual Venue’ tab. 

ARE Online Platform & Expression of Interest (EOI) Process

For this Provincial ARE, both AdoptReady and non-AdoptReady attendees will have access to the ARE Online Platform. Please take some time before the event to review the information below & learn more about how you can access child and youth information.

What is the ARE Online Platform?

The ARE Online Platform is a time-limited feature that allows prospective adoptive families to view profiles, photos, and videos (if available) of the children and youth featured at this event. Please note:  Photos and/or videos of the profiled children and youth will be accessible to AdoptReady registrants only. Expression of Interest (EOI) forms can be directly submitted through the ARE Online Platform.

What is an Expression Of Interest (EOI) form?

The EOI form allows prospective adoptive parents to express interest in a child, youth or sibling group and identify themselves as a potential match. For Provincial AREs, once an EOI form is submitted, a copy is sent to the child, youth or sibling group’s adoption worker, your adoption worker/practitioner and you.

How to Engage with the ARE Online Platform

To access the ARE Online Platform, you can follow the steps below:

1. Click here to log in to the AdoptOntario Waiting Children Photolisting
2. Once logged in, under ARE Events, click on the drop-down menu and click on the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026
3. Click the green search button below
4. Now you are viewing the ARE Online Platform for this event
5. To submit an EOI form: At the bottom of the profile, click the link ‘I/We would like to express interest in this child.’
   1. Complete the form that appears and finish by clicking submit
   2. If you have any specific questions about a child/youth on the ARE Online Platform, please submit your questions directly on the EOI form for that child/youth.

The ARE Online Platform will be available to all registered attendees from April 4th – April 30th.

Is there a deadline for submitting an EOI form?

Registered attendees have from April 4th – April 30th, to submit their EOI forms. Although attendees can submit EOI forms before the in person event, we encourage prospective adoptive parents to wait until the in person event and one-on-one conversations have concluded. 

Virtual Venue

What is the Virtual Venue?

Exclusive to the Provincial ARE, the Virtual Venue is run by Midland57 and is a feature that gives registered attendees access to pre-recorded event presentations, educational recordings, adoption-related resources and the virtual one-on-one chat feature.

How to Access the Virtual Venue

1. Click here to log in to the AdoptOntario Waiting Children Photolisting
2. Once logged in, click on My Adoption Events
3. Search for the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026 event in the list
4. Take note of your PIN and the email address
5. Click the Join Webcast button
6. You will be redirected to the Virtual Venue login page, where you can add your email address and PIN
7. Click Login

Virtual One-on-One Calls

Following the in person event, on April 15th and 16th, from 5:00 – 8:00 PM, registered attendees can log into the Virtual Venue to speak to adoption workers virtually, one-on-one.  To locate the participating adoption worker’s availability, navigate to the Exhibit Hall (tab within the Virtual Venue) to find a list of all participating Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) and the adoption workers who will be taking calls virtually. Simply click on the applicable ‘Start Chat’ button and this will open a private chat box between you and that worker. From there you can coordinate a time to speak one-on-one.

We encourage families to log in to the Virtual Venue before the date mentioned above to ensure login success.

Features of the Virtual Venue

Lobby: This is the landing page for the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026. You will be greeted with an introductory video that will provide details on navigating the event platform.

Sessions: If you’re joining us virtually, this is your go-to spot for watching recordings of our educational presentations. Missed a session? No worries! You can catch the recordings right here after the event.

Exhibit Hall: In this section, you can find a list of all participating CAS’. After you click on the applicable CAS, you can see all the adoption workers who are participating from that agency. Find the adoption worker you want to speak to and click the ‘start chat’ button to request a chat.

Child and Youth List: Attendees can view a list of the children/youth profiled at this event. You can view some basic non-identifying information (e.g. pseudonym, case ID number, adoption worker and a written profile). We encourage all attendees to access the ARE Online Platform to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) forms. 

Voices and Perspectives in Adoption: This section will provide attendees with adoption resources. Attendees will have access to this section the whole time the Virtual Venue is live (up to and including May 8th).

Private Chats: This section is where all your communications (video chats and text-based chats) with the adoption workers from the participating CAS are kept and managed for you. If you want to speak to a worker who is not available at the time, this is the section where they will contact you once they are available.

Virtual Venue Tech Support

The ‘Attendee Support’ widget (bottom left hand side of screen on the Virtual Venue) can be used to access technical support for the Virtual Venue. Please keep in mind, response times are not immediate (24 hour response times). If you require assistance sooner, please email [email protected]. 

NOTE: On April 15th and 16th from 4-8:30 PM attendees can access live technical support using the ‘Attendee Support’ widget. 

Notices

1. The Virtual Venue can only be accessed using a laptop or desktop. It is not accessible via tablets or mobile devices.
2. We recommend using Google Chrome to access the Virtual Venue. However, Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge are also supported. Internet Explorer will not be supported.

Education & Resources 

Between Steps: Working Together Toward What’s Next.

Presentations

Keynote Presentation & Panel Discussion

Our Adoption Journey – A Tree in the Forest with Sarah Van Dyk

Sarah reflects on her personal and professional adoption journey using the metaphor of a tree in a forest. As an adoptive parent of two children and a former Resource Worker, they emphasize that adoption is not simply a process but a transformation. In the waiting stage of adoption, prospective parents are already beginning the work of becoming the parents their future child will meet. We will discuss the roots, trunk and branches of adoptive families using stories and humour. The speaker shares how meeting their children for the first time required letting go of the imagined child to fully embrace the child with their own history, temperament, grief, and joy. Waiting is framed as an active period of preparation where prospective parents can learn, reflect, and create networks of support. Ultimately, the speaker emphasizes that adoptive families, like trees, grow best within a forest: a community that can hold the complexities, challenges, and joys of the adoption journey.

The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion to allow for further expansion of the themes and topics outlined in the presentation. The moderator and panelists all have living experience in adoption, including both adoptive parents and adoptees.

Note: Following the panel discussion, there will be a Q&A period between panel members and attendees (time permitting). We will only be accepting pre-screened questions for this event to ensure their suitability to and alignment with the discussion. If you would like to submit a question for the panel in advance, please email: [email protected] no later than Friday April 10th.

Join Us at the Resource Village 

The Resource Village is a hub where attendees can make meaningful connections with adoption experts, diverse adoption-related organizations and experienced adoptive parents. It’s a place to build valuable relationships and deepen your knowledge and understanding of adoption. On April 12th, in person attendees can access the Resource Village! The Resource Village representatives will be available between 2:00 – 5:00 PM to speak to attendees.

Connect with one or all of the representatives below! Click on a link to learn more about that organization. 

The AdoptOntario Program

The Centralized Adoption Intake Service (CAIS)

The Permanency & Adoption Competency Training Program (PACT)

Adoption Resource Events

Interwoven Connections

One Vision One Voice

Sherbourne Health

Adoption Support Kinship (A.S.K.)