By Paula Schuck Cofounder the Canadian Coalition of Adoptive Families Hi and welcome to the Canadian Coalition of Adoptive Families site A little bit about us... We are adoptive parents seeking to support other adoptive families. Near the end of 2010 we had an incredibly busy time advocating politically at the provincial and federal levels of government. More than ever before, the coalition is seeing a genuine momentum and political desire to reach out to adoptive families and the greater community of the adoption triad and solicit ideas on how to better support families formed by adoption and how to improve the lives of Canada’s children. In late November 2010, the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, otherwise known as HUMA began calling witnesses to testify to the parliamentary committee about federal support measures for adoptive parents. For several weeks the committee, expected to report back to the Canadian government some time this year, heard from adoptees, youth in care, aboriginal youth, adoptive parents, adoptive parent support groups, adoption agencies and advocacy groups such as the ACC and AdoptOntario. Laura Eggertson, a CCAF member and board member of the Adoption Council of Canada spoke to many issues needed across Canada, not the least of which is accurate data on numbers of children in care. Canada doesn’t currently maintain this information. Lee-Ann Sleegers and Paula Schuck, both CCAF members, spoke to the need for equitable employment insurance benefits for adoptive parents (currently adoptive families receive 15 weeks less paid leave than families formed in the typical fashion.) Which means our children, who often need more time to bond, attach and heal, get less time and our families are at a financial disadvantage from the start. The CCAF also noted the need for a national Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) strategy to support families raising children with this disability. For the first time ever, the Canadian Coalition of Adoptive Families was called to present in person and in written form to the Ontario government during their budget hearings in Toronto. Our appeal was centred on post-adoption supports and standardized subsidies that follow children once they are adopted into their forever homes. As well we noted again the need for supports for FASD. Towards the end of 2010, various adoption advocacy and child welfare groups throughout Canada came together to form a new national advocacy working group to drive change forward for Canada’s children. The National Adoption Action Network is a group that draws members from all the provinces and includes as stakeholders: The Adoption Council of Canada, The Adoption Council of Ontario, The Canadian Coalition of Adoptive Families, the Adoption Support Centre of Saskatchewan, adoptive parents, birth parents and adoptees. We at the CCAF are working hard on committees to further the unemployment insurance and maternity leave benefits issue and the need to make FASD a disability that is prevented when able, and understood, accurately diagnosed and supported. Cofounder Wendy Conforzi also continues to work on the NACAC board bringing her views and perspective as a foster parent of over 30 years and an adoptive parent. We are seeing more families using animal assisted therapies as a means to help children heal and to aid those with trauma, attachment disorders and neurological conditions like FASD. We at the CCAF continue to attend national and international conferences to bring our families more information about these types of therapies. These are just a few of the successes of 2010. We are all volunteers here at the CCAF and I want to thank our board members for their sacrifices this year. We log long hours on these issues, often spending our grocery money to travel and advocate so that other families will not have to. If you can offer any support, we are in need of:
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