Meet the Simpson family
When the Simpsons began thinking about building a family, adoption was simply one of the meaningful ways they imagined becoming parents. Here, they share their experience with international adoption and what they’ve learned along the way. What made you decide that adoption was right for your family? Adoption was always an option for us. There […]
Ask the expert: Supporting a child with ADHD and foster care experience
Caring for a child with ADHD and a history in government care isn’t always easy. In this Q&A, adoptive parent and clinical counsellor Andrew McKenzie answers common questions and shares practical strategies for navigating ADHD and trauma. Understanding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and trauma Q: From your experience, how do ADHD symptoms often overlap with […]
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 […]
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 […]
Meet the Hogan family
Introducing the Hogan family. After emigrating to Canada, Terry and Paula turned to adoption to start their family together. Their twin daughters have taught them the importance of embracing differences and appreciating the little things. As long-time members of the Belonging Network community, their experiences are a testament to the value of connections and support. […]
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 […]
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.
Child sexual abuse: A guide for parents
Detecting signs of sexual abuse—and then determining a course of action—may leave parents feeling overwhelmed. This free digital guide is a helpful starting point for adoption and permanency parents, and essential reading for anyone who parents or works with children and youth. As the parent or a guardian of a child who has been adopted from […]
He said. She said. Couple adopts a toddler from the Ministry
Tracy and Keith recently adopted a little girl through the Ministry. While the ecstatic parents were enthusiastic about telling their story, we cannot use their real names until the adoption is finalized. Otherwise, all information is accurate. Describe your family Tracy: We live in the country on an acre of property with a creek in the […]
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.
Parenting a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
This video offers information and practical strategies for parents of prenatally exposed children. Parenting a child with FASD: It’s a diagnosis, not a label This video covers topics such as identifying behaviors related to FASD, parenting strategies, diagnosis process and community resources for families. It includes interviews with a young woman living with FASD and […]
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 […]
Meet the Nanji family
We are so happy to announce that the Nanji family are the grand prize draw winners of our 2020 Faces of Family contest! Congratulations to the Nanjis! They have won a DJI Tello Iron Man Edition Drone, generously donated by our sponsor, Broadway Camera. Visit them today for all your camera and video needs! Zafira Nanji […]
Meet the Lafortune family
We are so happy to announce that the Lafortune family is the second-place winner of our 2020 Faces of Family contest! Congratulations to the Lafortunes! They have won a Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 camera, generously donated by our sponsor, Broadway Camera. Visit them today for all your camera and video needs! Read more about the Lafortune […]
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 […]
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 […]
Meet the Giesbrecht family
Jamie and Tyler Giesbrecht always wanted a big family, but for a while it didn’t seem to be happening naturally. They started fostering, which turned into adoption, and today they have the big family they always dreamed of! This is their adoption story. Can you briefly describe your family? We are a farm family living […]
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, […]
Adoption-friendly family trees
At some point, almost every child will have to tackle a family tree school project. Classic family tree assignments assume every kid comes from an intact biological family with one mom and one dad, which can leave adopted kids feeling confused, left out, and sad. These alternative family trees welcome kids from all families to […]
Shame and the adopted child
Catherine is the co-founder of the non-profit organization We Are Adopted/Adoptees Association. In this article she draws on her personal experience as an adoptee and an adoptive mother as well as her professional experience as a registered clinical counsellor to explain why shame and adoption are so intertwined. Shadowed by shame Shame is something that […]
Open hearts, open wounds
My daughter Libby was born as I held her birth mother Carla’s hand, breathing with her through the agony of labour. When her daughter drew her first breath, Carla looked at me and said, “Congratulations on your new baby.” Then she asked me to cut the umbilical cord. I was overwhelmed by a staggering mix […]
Meet the Berg family
Adoption: a lifelong dream Janice’s interest in adoption started when she was just a little girl. She remembers one of her favourite childhood games was to play “adoption agency” with her dolls. She’d line them all up on her bedroom floor and then choose one or two to “adopt.” That idea obviously had staying power. […]
Dear teacher and school counsellor
Adoptive parent and therapist, Brenda McCreight, wrote this letter for parents to give to teachers. Dear teacher and school counsellor, As you know, we are an adoptive family. Our child joined us after going through many negative life experiences. As a result, she has some different challenges than other children you have taught, and we […]
Occupational therapy for adoptive families
Find out how an Occupational Therapist can help you build your adoptive family in this informational video. Drawing on your community’s resources is a great way to build a resilient adoptive family. In this one-hour video, learn how an Occupational Therapist can help you! Topics covered will be: areas in which an OT can help […]
Many doors, no master key
Brandan’s story – and mine As the adoptive parent of 10 children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, I know how difficult it can be to access services and develop a support network for people with FASDs. I regularly give presentations about FASD to groups, using the story of my son Brandan’s life (with his full […]
Meet the Eisler family
Within our first year of being married, my husband and I knew that building our family may come by way of adoption. I suffered from debilitating but undiagnosed pain, and doctors raised the possibility of a hysterectomy. It took another 14 years of pain and failed attempts to conceive before I found a doctor who […]
Making the holidays happy for your family
Cathy, along with her amazing partner, Dave, is parent to 16 children: four by birth and twelve by adoption, aged from 33 down to 12 years of age. She has nine grandchildren with number ten on the way. Together, Cathy and Dave have presided over countless holiday celebrations with their everchanging family. We couldn’t think […]
Extreme parenting: Taking charge with love
My kids matter, but I’m in charge I want my kids to know that what they like and what they think matters to me. My predisposition is to say yes to all possibilities. I only say “no” after some consideration. However, my kids were starting to get the impression that it was OK to disrespect […]
Meet the Singer family
The Singer family household–home to Leo Andriy, eight, and Jack Bogdan, six–is full of life. And that’s an understatement. Parents Aaron and Melissa frequently have to raise their voices to be heard over the chaos of the boys’ shouts and laughter. Born in Ukraine, Jack and Leo’s raucous exuberance and impulsive energy has defined the […]
Meet the Calhoun family
Like many couples, John Calhoun and Carly Bates found their way to adoption after experiencing infertility. It wasn’t an out-of-left-field choice for them, though. Carly says she told John on their first date that she wanted to adopt. It just took them a few years to get there. They knew they wanted to experience what […]
Mother’s Day and the adoptive Mom
Mother’s Day brings to mind fresh flowers, blueberry pancakes and homemade cards. It’s a day to be spoiled and fêted by family. But for me, an adoptive mother, it’s never as simple as the Hallmark holiday it’s touted to be. Don’t get me wrong: I feel deep joy in my role as mom to my […]
Navigating adoption questions with love
My husband and I are the very proud parents of two children, ages four-and-a-half and eight, who joined our family by adoption as newborns. They have known about their adoption from a young age. I have a story to share of an experience I had with our daughter, then aged two-and-a-half, at a park. While she […]
When parenting gets tough
Adoption is a rewarding journey, but it can come with unexpected challenges. If your child is struggling to adjust, you’re not alone. Social worker Susan Lees shares insights and resources to help adoptive parents navigate this journey with support and confidence. “Two years ago we adopted a child of six. We have found parenting him […]
Parents or children: Whose job is it to change?
I was presenting at a workshop recently and mentioned, in an off-hand way, that I wondered what surprises we would find with our next adoption. A woman in the front row shot up her hand (front row people are like that). “What do you mean your next adoption? You already have nine children. Why would […]
How one adoptive family handles racism
In our experience, the best lessons we can offer are those that teach our children to externalize racism and assure them we will always be there for them. Externalizing racism Because my husband and I do not share our children’s racial or cultural backgrounds, we work extra hard to help them develop skills and strategies […]
Q&A: What people ask us about adopting special needs children
Note: This Q&A was originally published in 2013, when terms like “special needs” were more commonly used. We recognize that language evolves, and we now typically use terms such as “support needs,” “complex needs,” or “disabilities.” We’ve kept the original wording to preserve the authors’ voices and experiences as they were shared at the time. […]
Tips for families considering NAS or alcohol-affected babies
Adapted from: Susan Edelstein, Children with Prenatal Alcohol and/or Other Drug Exposure: Weighing the Risks of Adoption. Washington, DC: CWLA Press, 1995. Source: The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute (adoption research and studies).
What it’s like to live with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
This information applies to any individual who is functionally dependent on others in some specific areas, and who does not learn from correction, or who does not “get” why people are distressed with their behavior. Parents, teachers and support persons of individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) are sometimes faced with episodes of extreme […]
Are you up to parenting a child with FASD?
When I met Susan Bell* in her large, Surrey home, I was immediately struck by how ordered and tidy it seemed, especially considering it’s home to several teens. I had pictured a far more hectic, cluttered place. Susan ushered me into her equally immaculate office, and we spoke for two hours about parenting kids with […]
Adoption against all the odds
The following story is far from typical-most BC families that adopt from the US have a much easier experience. This story speaks to the immense strength of the desire to become parents. Despite the enormous difficulty of their journey, the couple we feature here persevered. That is a characteristic of many adoptive families-it is a […]
The truth about confabulation
Is it lying? No, it’s confabulation and there’s a big difference! Time and time again we hear from adoptive parents that one of the hardest behaviours to take is children lying to them. They experience the lie as a personal affront, a show of disrespect, and a harbinger of anti-social behaviour to come. There are […]
School 101: For adoptive parents
Starting school for the first time, or a new school year, can present challenges for adoptive parents and their children. We have prepared this brief guide to help prepare you and your child for the school experience and to circumvent some of the problems you may encounter. Newly adopted older kids International adoption Racism and […]
Finding First Nations roots
As adoptive parents who began our journey with our application to adopt almost 25 years ago, we’ve seen some changes along the way. One of those changes has been regarding the adoption of children of First Nations ancestry into non-First Nations homes. Our first adoption was a child of First Nations ancestry, and we were […]