By Paula Schuck

Cofounder the Canadian Coalition of Adoptive Families

http://www.canadiancoalitionofadoptivefamilies.ca

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:

1. Volunteers to help with letter writing campaigns and other tasks as needed. An accountant that can help us at year’s end is also very much needed.

2. Funds to help us do what we do.

3. A graphic artist to help us design a logo for the CCAF.

The Canadian Coalition of Adoptive Families evolved out of the 2007 NACAC (North American Council for Adoptable Children) conference in Tampa. Members of the very successful regional group The London Coalition of Adoptive Families were looking for a way to tackle national issues such as inequitable employment insurance policies for adoptive parents. As a result of brainstorming and meeting various other strong parent support groups from across North America, the LCAF cofounders created the CCAF, now with members in most provinces.

 

The Canadian coalition led the charge to change inequitable Canadian employment insurance policies. We have been advocating strongly since 2007 lobbying MPs through letter-writing and public awareness campaigns. The grass roots campaign has now gained support of NACAC, the Adoption Council of Ontario and the Adoption Council of Canada. While many MPs have voiced their support for this initiative, as of late 2008, none have yet to follow through on the promise to open up the E.I. Act.

 

Adoption is a great and beautiful way to form a family. It is a journey that begins in sadness and is not without challenges. Adoptive families often face additional stressors that biological families do not.

 

Many children who are adopted domestically will have lifelong grief and loss issues. Many will struggle with identity, attachment and bonding issues. Many have suffered early life adversity and neglect or trauma. International adoptees often struggle with similar issues complicated by racial identity. Many of these adoptees spent vital months, even years of their early lives living in orphanages and will arrive in their forever families with developmental delays and needing complex medical care. 

 

The CCAF is committed to fighting for post-adoption supports to help all of our families succeed. We strive to raise awareness of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and fight for proper educational supports for students living with FASD. We work in conjunction with many child and adolescent mental health organizations and, in our own communities, seek to create a network of social service agencies and groups who are adoption competent.