Welcome to our new website! The Adoptive Families Association of BC is now the Belonging Network.
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Toolkit

Permanency for youth

This toolkit provides valuable resources to support youth on their journey to permanency. Whether you’re a professional, parent, or caregiver, you’ll find helpful information and insights. Youth looking to learn about permanency? Check out AgedOut.com!

Featured resources

Story

Youth finds a forever family

A success story. The youth’s name has been changed. Liz...

Article

Permanency matters!

Their lives, their words, their voices: why we should listen and...

Video

Beyond the attitude: Teens and tweens adoption

This video offers an overview of the adoption process, the...

Article

Depression in adopted teens: What families need to know

Only 20% of depressed teens ever receive help, yet over...

Article

| November 8, 2024

Understanding youth in and from care through journey maps

With input from young adults aged 18 to 24 who were in or from care, the TRRUST initiative at the McCreary Centre Society created Journey Maps to better understand their...

Article

| November 7, 2024

Supporting youth transitioning out of care: 2024 BC report

The McCreary Centre Society’s 2024 Youth Transitioning Out of Care in BC report sheds light on the challenges faced by youth transitioning from government care into adulthood. Conducted by the...

Article

| June 9, 2018

The teenage brain: Its mystery and its magic

How our brains grow We’re each born with as many brain cells as the Milky Way has stars—approximately 100 billion of them. These brain cells cells, known as neurons, form...

Video

| January 4, 2017

Beyond the attitude: Teens and tweens adoption

This video offers an overview of the adoption process, the unique attributes of teens & tweens, and descriptions of some of BC’s youth in care. Are you interested in adopting...

Article

| December 16, 2016

Depression in adopted teens: What families need to know

Only 20% of depressed teens ever receive help, yet over 80% of people who are treated feel better as a result. Parenting teenagers can often trigger your own memories of...

Video

| January 24, 2016

Striving for permanency: Stories of youth in and from care

Everyone deserves a permanent family. Meet five BC youth who have experienced foster care, aged out of care, or been adopted. These courageous individuals share their stories because they believe...

Story

| June 9, 2014

Bulding trust

Growing up in foster care, I had great difficulties trusting others because it seemed that everyone was leaving me and often times fear and ignorance prevent trust. When I first...

Article

| October 10, 2013

Really good reasons to adopt a teen

Why teens think teen adoption is a great idea: Source: You Gotta Believe! Reprinted with permission.

Story

| October 2, 2013

Wanted: Imperfect families

As awareness and recruitment around teen adoption grows, hope is on the rise for youth who were once considered “unadoptable.” We talked with Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter Anne Melcombe about...

Article

| August 29, 2013

Most teens do want to be adopted

Social worker Anne Melcombe is a big believer in teen adoption. Why? Because she knows that teens want families and that there are families who want to adopt teens. In this...

Story

| August 12, 2013

Meeting the challenges of parenting a special needs teen

In her book, The Face In the Mirror, Marion Crook provides an in-depth examination of teens feelings and perceptions about adoption. She says, “Adopted children need reassurance that they are loved...

Article

| August 5, 2013

Unconditional commitment: The only love that matters to teens

Having directed both foster care and adoption programs that place teenagers into permanent families, and then having founded an agency that places teenagers into permanent families, I often get asked,...

Story

| August 5, 2013

Teen finds being loved isn’t always easy

Because of the support of my mom, and our choice to go forward with adoption, my life has changed in ways I never would have imagined. In the last few...

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Youth in and from care

Hey, youth! This toolkit is made just for you. Inside, you’ll find helpful resources and personal stories to support you on your journey. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, be sure to check out AgedOut.com!