TORONTO --  Thousands of Ontario children who are in limbo as Crown wards would become eligible for adoption while keeping ties with their birth families intact under legislation introduced Monday by Children's Minister Marie Bountrogianni.

The existing system, which prevents about three-quarters of Ontario's estimated 9,000 Crown wards from being adopted, is "too rigid," Bountrogianni said as she announced plans for the new bill at a news conference.

"We need to help more children find a permanent caring home by making adoption more flexible for individual children and friendlier for parents."

"The potential is enormous" in terms of how many more children could be adopted as a result of the changes, she added. "The potential is in the thousands."

Currently, the rules prevent children in the care of the Children's Aid Society whose birth families have a court-ordered right to visit or contact them cannot be adopted. More than half of those families, however, never contact their children.

As a result, fewer than 10 per cent of Crown wards are adopted each year, the government said. Only 900 were adopted in 2004.

Children in this predicament typically bounce between different foster and group homes about every two years, and the resulting instability detracts from their education, damages self-esteem and makes it hard to form meaningful relationships, Bountrogianni said.

Under the proposed legislation, arrangements between the parties or approved by a judge would allow the child to keep in touch with their birth parents, natural siblings or grandparents, either with occasional visits or through correspondence, she said.

"The proposed changes would mean a child could keep those important ties to their family, community and culture and still be adopted or placed in a permanent home."

Fiona Sharp said she understands the value of a stable, loving home.

A decade ago, it took Sharp and her husband two years to complete their adoption of three-year-old Robert, who even at that age was thrilled to know he would be able to stay with his ``new mum and dad.''

A few months ago, Robert -- now 13 -- wrote a letter to Bountrogianni extolling the virtues of a secure family.

"Every child...deserves the best family and home and love that they weren't able to get with their foster parents,'' the boy wrote. "The feeling of being secure and staying with one family, that's what made me happy."

Conservative critic Cam Jackson questioned the timing of the legislation, given that the province is "embroiled'' in battles on several fronts related to adoption or children's aid -- one a court battle with parents forced to surrender custody of severely disabled children in order to get adequate care, the other over controversial legislation that aims to open up sealed adoption records.

"There's no real plan," Jackson told the legislature.

"This minister and this ministry continues to be embroiled in a high degree of turmoil and we're still not seeing an overall plan of helping us get through this period."

The government, in conjunction with the Adoption Council of Ontario, is also creating an adoption website to let prospective parents know about children who are ready to be adopted.

The legislation would also allow children to be placed under the guardianship of an adult if they don't want to be adopted or to be placed with a relative.