By Paula Schuck

Cofounder the Canadian Coalition of Adoptive Families

http://www.canadiancoalitionofadoptivefamilies.ca

For NACAC

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 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, adoptees and numerous representatives from most other provinces.

The new working group snowballed out of the great success experienced during November – National Adoption Awareness Month. A strong advocacy campaign culminated in a widespread and successful media campaign, especially in Ontario. Pat Convery of AdoptOntario was featured on television addressing the need for permanent homes for nearly 10,000 children in Ontario. Lexi Deece-Cassidy and her daughter Aleisha gave a human face to the need for adoption supports and they were spotlighted on several radio shows, at press conferences and in print media as well. Numerous people highlighted many adoption and child welfare issues throughout the month as a series of articles in The Toronto Star kicked off debate regarding the need for adoption subsidies and post-adoption supports. The very high profile Governor General of Canada David Johnston, himself a member of the 2009 Expert Panel on Adoption and Infertility, commissioned by Ontario’s Liberal government, championed the cause publicly demanding that the report be acted on soon.

The report made numerous key recommendations that could impact youth in care and adoptive families. Key among them was the need for a centralized adoption agency and post-adoption supports. Access to adoption subsidies for every child and the need for more information and support around the diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder were two other key items. However, shortly after the unveiling of the report it appeared to be tabled and forgotten. The Adoption Council of Ontario resurrected the report in November and began asking publicly why it hadn’t been acted on.

In late November and December, 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, that is expected to create a 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. As well 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. Clearly adoption issues seemed to be gaining momentum at both the provincial and national levels. Politically, our stakeholders finally seemed to have the ear of those who could make change happen. After all the media reports and the various hearings and committee meetings, adoption advocates started asking what happened next. With some guidance from the Community Champions Network and NACAC’s Kim Stevens, the various groups pulled together to create NAAN. Over the coming year, the network is targeting several areas as high priority. Top among these issues are: the need for equitable Employment Insurance benefits for those who adopt; the need for interprovincial cooperation to find permanent homes for children and youth in care; the need to examine the new citizenship laws pertaining to international adoptions; the need to develop a strategy of support for those families living with FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder).

The group has only been working together for roughly two months and is committed to keeping these issues front and centre for as long as it takes to affect change for Canada’s children.

The National Action on Adoption Network