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 […]
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” […]
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 experiences. These visual tools offer insights into the unique challenges youth face, such as adjusting to new environments, coping with trauma, and striving for independence. […]
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 Youth Research Academy (YRA), a group of young people aged 16 to 24 with personal experience in care, the report highlights key obstacles in areas […]
Youth finds a forever family
A success story. The youth’s name has been changed. Liz is 18 years old. For more than a decade, she has moved between foster homes. She has also had to face the sadness of being separated from her sister, who found permanency with a family located far away. Traditional methods to find a family didn’t […]
BC Child and Youth in Care Week
In Anne’s words BC Child and Youth in Care Week is about raising awareness and shifting perceptions about children and youth in government care. It’s about seeing them as individuals with unique talents, hopes and dreams: so much more than a series of statistics and outcomes. At the Belonging Network, we believe every child and […]
A foster kid’s holiday survival ideas
A holiday message from AgedOut.com‘s founding project lead. When I aged out of care there was one day a year I loathed, and it’s called Christmas. One day a year I was reminded about family private. While all my friends were excited about their mom’s cooking, presents, and seeing their favourite uncle, I was trying to […]
Reflections on adoption
Being adopted isn’t easy. It can be a very scary process. That is normal for most people. I was very scared going through the whole process of adoption. It’s okay to be scared because being adopted is a very big change that will affect your whole life. I got over my fear of being adopted […]
Supporting LGBTQ2S+ youth in adoption and foster care
Download this free guide to learn about how to understand and help 2SLGBTQIA+ young people in your care. Approximately 20 percent of high school students today identify as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer (or questioning), intersex, asexual, and gender non-conforming (2SLGBTQIA+). Among youth in government care and adoptive families, the numbers are even higher. […]
Mindfulness for youth: A modern take on meditation
Why mindfulness? Mindfulness has become a buzzword that’s as likely to be heard in the business world as in a yoga studio, but what is it? Simply put, mindfulness is a type of meditation that focuses on being present in the moment without judgement, regardless of what is happening. Mindfulness meditation comes from Buddhist teachings […]
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 connections that are called synapses. They divide and multiply like wildfire, creating new cells and and forming even more connections. In a positive, healthy environment, […]
DNA tests and adoption
As we celebrate the Belonging Network’s 40th anniversary, we’re reflecting on the past but also looking ahead to the future. This article explores one scientific advancement that’s already changing the world of adoption: DNA tests. The end of closed adoptions Open adoption has been championed for over 30 years, but the level and frequency of […]
Be ready to support LGBTQ youth
For many youth, foster and adoptive homes can be safe places for care and support when the biological family does not provide appropriate care. Unfortunately, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are placed in foster homes where their caretakers do not understand or accept these youth because of their gender or sexual orientation. […]
Meet the Packer family
Editor’s note: Cindy Packer, the matriarch of the Packer family, sadly passed away in December of 2018. The Belonging Network wishes all the best to the Packer’s during this difficult time, and we know that Cindy’s kind and generous legacy lives on in her children. Three cultures plus infinite love equals one unique family! An […]
Word on the street: Violet-Rose
An interview with adult ally and youth in care advocate Violet-Rose Pharoah. What inspires you to make art and be a part of art projects that focus on the experiences of foster care? As someone who is naturally quiet and introverted, I find that art provides the opportunity for me to explore and express my […]
Permanency matters!
Their lives, their words, their voices: why we should listen and what we can do. Permanency: a priority for youth In June, the Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks (FBCYICN) released their 2016 YouthSpeak Research Report. It’s the result of two years of consultation with hundreds of BC youth in and from foster care between […]
Social media and adoption
Learn the benefits and pitfalls of social media as it relates to openness and relationship management in adoption. Adoption and Social Media: What does it means for you and your adopted child/ren? Social media has transformed all of our lives and adoption is no exception. The pace of social media uptake has led to an explosion of […]
My transition from foster care into an adoptive home
Transitioning can be different for every person. For my brother and I it was a different experience for the both of us… I was not completely ready for the transition and had run away for a few days to, in a way, help clear my mind. My brother on the other hand went easily. Once […]
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 all youth in care deserve lasting connections that continue after they turn 19.
Adopted voice: Looking homeward
I remember the noise the most. Car engines idled noxious gasses into the air; heavy footsteps snapped across well-worn concrete. The delicious yet unfamiliar smells of Asian street food filled my nostrils. I stood close to my parents, at the edge of a street corner. Together, we gazed across the road to a building. Above […]
Finding my abilities
I grew up in care from two years old until I turned 18. I don’t remember much of my first foster home or much of my childhood. My mom abused me, and I ended up with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I was also diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). I do remember moving into […]
Making friends while growing up in care
If you’re adopted or in care, it can be difficult to make and keep friends. So many things are always going on in your life. There might be attachment anxieties, loss and grief, and issues with separating from what you were once comfortable with. Change is really hard because you’re trying to figure out “why” […]
5 things I wish I knew then
Hello all, I decided to write this article in the hopes to help those young people who are currently in the process of aging out or who will be aging out fairly soon. Aging out for me was a daunting process as I didn’t have a lot of help and I feel as though this […]
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 me Joanne and John, I feared that this would be another relationship that would fail. My ignorance and fear got in the way of developing […]
What is family?
Family means many things. It can mean biological, foster, adoptive, and/or honorary. The Vanier Institute of the Family defines family as “any combination of two or more persons who are bound together over time by ties of mutual consent, birth and/or adoption or placement and who, together, assume responsibilities for the functions of the family.” […]
Really good reasons to adopt a teen
Why teens think teen adoption is a great idea: Source: You Gotta Believe! Reprinted with permission.
Navigating anxiety
I have always been anxious. I didn’t recognize it until my mid 30s, when I went through full-blown, severe anxiety and depression. After months of hell, I saw the pain as the message it was: “you need to change.” During a lengthy process of growth and learning, I looked back and saw the patterns of […]
