The Board received 224 family adoption applications in 2008 compared to 229 such applications in 2007. Most family adoption applications are made in step-parent situations where a natural mother has a child outside of marriage and she subsequently marries a man who is not the natural father of the child. The natural mother and her husband apply jointly to adopt the child into their marriage. In such circumstances, the natural mother gives up her sole legal rights and responsibilities in respect of her child and both she and her husband take on joint legal rights and responsibilities in respect of the child.

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