Roadmap to adoption in BC
Thinking about adoption in BC, but not sure where to start? This step-by-step roadmap walks you through the adoption process in British Columbia, from early questions to welcoming a child into your family.
The emotional complexity of adopting without meeting the child
If you’re in the proposal package or family finding stage of adoption and struggling to wrap your head around committing to “forever” with a child based only on a profile or file, you are not alone. This is one of the most tender and complex moments in the adoption journey. It’s the point where hope […]
Meet the Turnbull family
Adopting a child from another country takes patience, determination, and a strong support network. When Carol began her adoption journey, she had no idea she’d wait years or travel across the world to meet her daughter. In this video, Carol and Sakshi share their story: the long wait, the emotional first meeting, and how they’ve […]
A birth mother’s journey: Unpacking the complexities of adoption (continued)
In part two of her story, a birth mom opens up about the intricate realities of open adoption, the struggles of processing trauma, and the vital importance of empathy and understanding. If you missed the first part, you can read it here. The past caught up with me It wasn’t until after the birth of […]
A birth mother’s journey: Unpacking the complexities of adoption
In this honest and heartfelt story, a birth mother opens up about her adoption journey. She reflects on growing up in a strict environment, feeling voiceless, and how adoption, while meant to offer hope, also brought deep emotional struggles. Her story is a reminder that adoption is not simple—it’s often filled with complex feelings and […]
Teen adoption Q&A: Part two
In part two of our teen adoption Q&A, Ashleigh Martinflatt, a clinical counsellor, post-secondary instructor, and adoptive parent, dives deeper into the journey of providing permanency for teens. She addresses concerns around bonding, managing missed milestones, navigating the mixed emotions teens may experience, and offers advice on supporting adopted teens. I’m scared that I won’t […]
Meet Desaray: A story of finding permanency through kinship care and adoption (continued)
In part two of her story, Desaray opens up about the rewarding ways adoption has shaped her life. She takes us through her parents’ cross-country journey to find her and the special bond she shares with her adoptive sister. Having been adopted at age eight, Desaray offers her perspective on adopting older youth, reminding us […]
Teen adoption Q&A: Part one
Ashleigh Martinflatt is a registered social worker, clinical counsellor, and post-secondary instructor, teaching courses on trauma, child abuse, and neglect in both Social Work and Child and Youth Care degree programs. Most importantly, Ashleigh is an adoptive parent herself. In part one of this Q&A, Ashleigh shares her expertise on the unique aspects of adopting […]
Meet Desaray: A story of finding permanency through kinship care and adoption
In the first part of her story, Desaray shares about her experiences with foster care, kinship care, and adoption. From being removed from her birth parents’ care at age three to finding permanency through adoption at eight, she opens up about the challenges she faced and the misconceptions she encountered about what makes a “real” […]
Meet the Schmidt family
We are excited to announce that the Schmidt family are the draw prize winners of our 2024 This is Belonging photo contest! Read more about their story and how their family grew through adoption. Tell us about your family’s story. What made you decide that adoption was right for you? After struggling with infertility for […]
Meet the Black family
We are excited to announce that the Black family has won second place in our 2024 This is Belonging photo contest! Read about Sara’s experience adopting internationally as a single parent and be sure to see their winning photo at the end of this story. Tell us about your adoption story. What made you decide […]
Meet the Loeffler family
We are excited to announce that the Loeffler family has won first place in our 2024 This is Belonging photo contest! Be sure to see their winning photo at the end of this story. Tell us about your adoption story. What made you decide that adoption was right for you? In 2020, we received news […]
Belonging matters: 5 tips to strengthen your child’s sense of belonging
“Belonging” has become a bit of a buzzword. But for us, it’s more than just a popular term; it’s what we’re all about. After all, it’s our name! But what does it really mean? Why is it so important? And how can we help our children and youth feel a sense of belonging? In this […]
Pathways to permanency
Learn about the meaning of permanency, and different ways of creating it for children and youth. The term “permanency” means different things to different people. Within the context of child welfare, permanency includes a concept called the Four Dimensions of Permanence, which are relational, cultural, physical and legal permanency. This video reviews each dimension of […]
Meet the Easterbrook-Neubauer family
After realizing the toll of IVF, the Easterbrook-Neubauers chose the path of adoption, stepping into a journey filled with surprises. Within two weeks of passing the home study, they received a shocking phone call that their daughter was born and ready for them at the hospital. Picking her up only two days later, they began […]
Meet the Sawatzky-Martens family
Tamara and Jeremy are parents to three adopted children. From infant adoptions to building attachment with an older child, their path was unique and filled with growth. Fostering connections with birth families and embracing diverse cultures, they celebrate their children’s stories and share valuable insights they learned along the way. Tell us a little bit […]
Attachment is a thousand little moments
I remember when our three children first came home. Not only were we trying to survive some pretty chaotic moods and behaviours as we adjusted to living together, but it also felt like the race to attach was on. During our AEP (Adoption Education Program), we had heard about how most kids coming from foster […]
How adoptees celebrate Mother’s Day
Mother’s and Father’s Day can be difficult celebrations for adoptive families to navigate. In this article Kira, a 21-year-old who was born in China and adopted by a Canadian family, shares how her family celebrates, and how they acknowledge the importance of her birth family. Origins Happy Mother’s Day to all the future, present, and […]
Regional resource guide: Connecting you to your community
This guide is split into five sections: provincial, Coast/Fraser, Kootenays/Thompson-Cariboo/Okanagan, North, and Vancouver Island. This guide focuses on community resources and not-for-profit organizations.
New Beginnings: Mini podcast series
Tune into our podcast below to hear from Isla, a birth mom; Sam, an adoptee; and Thomas, an adoptive dad. This three-part podcast follows the experience of each character as they navigate their way through placement day. Placement day is a complex milestone for those in the adoption process. On this day, the child moves […]
Meet the Roberts family
Jennie Roberts and her husband Lawrence weren’t expecting to become parents a second time around. But when Lawrence attended a Chief & Council meeting and learned that there was a need for Indigenous adoptive families, Jennie knew what they needed to do. Jennie and Lawrence, who are members of the Tzeachten Nation, began the adoption […]
Adoption & permanency 101
This free digital guide explains adopting through the Adopt BC Kids program, intercountry adoption, local infant adoption, and other forms of permanency, including guardianship, custom adoption, and relative adoption. You’re probably here because you’re thinking about adopting. Maybe you’ve come to adoption through unforeseen circumstances or maybe you’ve always known that adoption would be a […]
School and adoption: Navigating the education system
This free digital guide includes information about Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings, trauma in classrooms, how to talk to teachers about adoption, and more! Learn how you can help your children cope at school, and what advice to give to teachers.
School 101: 8 tips to support your newly adopted child
Starting school can be a major adjustment for any child, but it can be particularly overwhelming for a newly adopted child. However, with the right support, your child can feel confident and prepared to thrive in their new school environment. Here are eight tips to help you navigate the back-to-school transition smoothly. 1. Familiarize your […]
School 101: 8 tips to prepare your child for the school year
For adoptive and permanency families, navigating the education system can bring unique challenges. From sensitive assignments to fostering a sense of belonging, there’s a lot to consider. To help you and your child have a positive school experience, here are eight tips to help prepare you for the year ahead. 1. Sit in on a […]
Meet the Yuen family
Tell us about your family! We have one biological daughter (who recently got married) and two children adopted from China. Our first adoption was in October 2007 when we adopted a baby girl and our second adoption was in July 2010 when we adopted a little four-and-a-half-year-old boy. What was your experience like with international […]
What I wish I’d known before adoption
Since Harriet Fancott adopted a baby last year, she’s had time to reflect on what, despite all her preparation, she wasn’t prepared for. Adoption is parenting I wish I’d known more about the realities of parenting a newborn baby before adopting. We were so focused on the details and issues surrounding adoption that the minutiae […]
Meet the Keno family
Heather always knew she would adopt. She grew up in a busy household with seven other siblings, five of them adopted. At 26 she took the plunge to adopt as a single and has never looked back. Now, with two adopted sons with down syndrome, Heather lives a full life. Here, we get a glimpse […]
Common adoption myths
Here, we answer some of the most common questions we get about adoption. If I want to adopt from foster care, do I have to start as a foster parent? I can’t imagine having to give back a child I love. Many adoptions from foster care don’t involve fostering the child first. After being matched […]
Our journey through inducement
This adoptive parent shares her story of welcoming an 11-year-old daughter into her family to join herself, her husband, and their three biological teenage boys. While the journey wasn’t always easy, it was definitely worth any hardships. What is inducement? Inducement is a psychological concept that describes the use of verbal and non-verbal communication to […]
Meet the Forsyth family
When the Forsyths decided to adopt, they were planning on a child who was around two years younger than their ten-year-old biological daughter. When the social worker called and said she had an 8-month-old for them, they were shocked. But their daughter wasn’t. She said she knew that the family would adopt a baby brother […]
Predictable adjustments
It is common for children who have spent time in care to release their feelings of grief and loss when they feel they are in a safe place. When the child begins to release these feelings the family will begin to feel it in the household. This feeling is referred to as inducement, you will […]
Finding (some of) my roots
Another adult adoptee shares here story of searching for her birth family, and finding roots that, while limited, help ground her. I was born in December 1953, when my birth mother was almost 30 years old. I always knew I was adopted. I looked like my adopted family on the outside but I didn’t feel […]
Ambiguous loss in adoption
Loss is never an easy topic, and the very nature of adoption comes with a plethora of it. In this article, Catherine Moore—both an adoptee and an adoptive parent—explains the revelatory concept of ambiguous loss. Unexpected challenges From the outside, adoption may seem a simple concept, but anyone inside it knows it as a complex […]
We Are Adopted: A community for adoptees
We Are Adopted is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving and promoting the interests of adopted people of all ages. They support the exploration of personal and shared experiences for adopted and fostered people through regular meetups, workshops, speakers, resources, and community connections. Visit them and connect at weareadopted.ca. We Are Adopted was created in response […]
My search story
This is an article about the challenges and complexities of searching and reconnecting with a birth parent, and learning to cope when things don’t work out the way you’d hoped they would. I was born in 1973, relinquished at birth and adopted as an eight month old infant. I was born healthy in all respects, […]
10 lessons being adopted taught me
In this article, originally shared on the Lost Daughters website, Lynn Grubb shares some of the key lessons and outlooks on life she discovered as an adopted person. 1. I learned about being a minority Although my skin colour is that of the majority, I learned early in life that I was part of a minority group. […]
10 tips for IEP season
As if the back to school routine isn’t busy enough for families, there is also the added stress for parents of children with special needs to participate in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings for each of their children. Here are 10 tips to help you go in with a positive attitude, a collaborative mindset, and […]
The open adoption grid: A new dimension of openness
In this article, Lori Holden, author of The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, shares a helpful way to think about openness in adoption. How shall we think of open adoption? I bet if you asked a bunch of people who know about adoption what open adoption is, you would get variations on the theme of […]
Bif Naked’s adoption story: “I’ve been really lucky”
Bif Naked is a member of a lot of communities. Rock and roller, vegan, Canadian, animal lover, breast cancer survivor, humanitarian, adoptee, and author (her memoir, I, Bificus, came out in 2016). Yes, Bif Naked, also known as Beth, is an adoptee and proud of it. In this article, she shares her story with Ronda […]
Meet the Ewasiuk-Pohl family
In BC, approximately half of the adoptions that take place every year are foster parents adopting their foster kids. In this article, you’ll meet the Ewasiuk-Pohl family, and get a glimpse into that world. Ten kids and counting Long-time foster dad Russell Pohl sums his family up in one word: FAB. It’s short for fabulous, […]
What adoptees need from their parents
The Adopted Voice column was inspired by the #FlipTheScript hashtag campaign, which draws attention to the importance of adoptee voices, especially during Adoption Awareness Month. In this issue, we hear from Catherine Moore, who is both an adoptee and adoptive mother. Adoption is our common ground I’m the co-founder of We Are Adopted, a non-profit […]
Employment insurance and adoption
This is an updated version of an article that originally appeared in Focus on Adoption several years ago. It explains parental benefits in Canada and why adoptive families currently don’t qualify for maternity leave. Under the current Employment Insurance (EI) legislation, biological mothers are entitled to 15 weeks of maternity leave and either 35 weeks […]
Adoptees and suicide risk
Adoptees are four times more likely to attempt suicide than non-adoptees. There’s no easy way to talk about this topic, but talk about it we must. As the adoptive mom of four young adults — two sons adopted as babies and twin daughters adopted at 6 years old — I know what joy adoption can […]
Two real mothers: when openness hurts
In the last few decades, openness in adoption has become the norm. Professional research and the personal experiences of adoptees and birth parents support the idea that some degree of openness is usually best for everyone, even in adoptions from foster care. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy, though. In this article, Sarah, an adoptive […]
What pediatric health providers should know about adoption
Every adoptive family needs health providers who understand the unique circumstances and health implications of their child’s beginnings. This pull-out guide was produced for an American audience, but the information applies well to Canada too. Cut it out or copy it to share with your healthcare team! Every child needs a loving home, and for […]
Canadians and adoption: New study reveals what we really think
In 2017, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption released a ground-breaking new study of Canadian attitudes and behaviours towards adoption and foster care. The comprehensive document is packed with research and insights, but since it’s also almost 80 pages long, we’ve put together this brief overview of its key findings. Canada loves adoption Awareness of […]
Somatic therapy: A new approach to adoption trauma
For more than 25 years, Catherine has worked in and with the adoption community as a therapist, an adoptee, and an adoptive mom, always searching for a truly effective approach to adoption therapy. In this article, she explains an approach that she’s found to be highly effective for issues related to adoption trauma. The lasting […]
Why adoptive families need support throughout the years
When potential adoptive parents begin their journey, they’re buoyed by the enthusiasm and support of others. Once they bring their child or children home and make it through the first few months, though, that support tends to dissolve. In this article, an experienced adoptive mom explains why adoptive families need support throughout their entire journey, […]
Mother’s Day and adoption
Spring’s here, and Mother’s Day is around the corner. In this section, we offer a variety of perspectives on how to celebrate when adoption is part of your story. When Mother’s Day hurts Holidays are a natural time to reflect on family and the past. For obvious reasons, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are extremely […]