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Adoption and Permanency Awareness Month
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November is Adoption and Permanency Awareness Month!
Join us in raising awareness about children and youth in BC who are waiting for permanency and celebrate permanent families of all kinds.
What is Adoption and Permanency Awareness Month? | Why the name change? | What is permanency? | Access resources | Get involved
What is Adoption and Permanency Awareness Month?
Adoption and Permanency Awareness Month takes place every November in BC to draw attention to the children and teens who are waiting for permanent homes through adoption, guardianship, kinship placement, or another form of permanency.
Successful adoption and permanency matches are based on the best fit for the child. That means that some families will be matched quickly, while others will wait longer. The greatest need is for prospective parents who are:
- Indigenous;
- open to adopting siblings;
- open to adopting a teenager; and/or
- open to adopting children with special needs (such as early abuse or neglect, behavioural challenges, learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder).
Why Adoption and Permanency Awareness Month?
BC has celebrated Adoption Awareness Month in November for many years. In 2022, British Columbia officially declared Adoption and Permanency Awareness Month.
The name change reflects the fact that there are many ways to create permanency for children and youth, and that permanency families of all kinds deserve recognition, support, and celebration.
AFABC is here to support permanency families of all kinds, just like we've supported adoptive families for the past 45 years.
What is permanency?
Permanency means family, belonging, and lifelong connection. There are many ways to create permanency including adoption, guardianship, kinship care, and Indigenous customary care. Permanency has four dimensions: legal, physical, cultural, and relational permanency.
Access resources
All of our on-demand webinars are FREE for everyone. Check them out and learn something new, on us! Start watching at www.bcadoption.com/webinars.
Looking for more resources? Check out our Publications page for our collection of free, digital resource guides.
Visit bcadoption.com/meetthekids to watch videos and read stories about real adoptive and permanency families.
The theme for this year's APAM will center around trauma-informed parenting. So, if you are raising children who have expereinced trauma, be sure to check out these two events: Trauma-Informed Parenting: Navigating Transitions and Trauma-Informed Parenting Support Session.
Get involved
Children and youth in BC are waiting for permanency. You can make a difference.
- Share our Adoption & Permanency Awareness Month content and create your own! Use the hashtags #APAM2023 and #PermanencyMeansFamily and don't forget to tag us @bcadopt
- Watch last year's Q & A town hall with Métis Family Services and the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Watch here.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter
- Donate to AFABC and help us continue to provide programs and services in your community for families and kids! Your donation also helps us create new programs. Donate online now!
- Host an AFABC fundraiser for your birthday or special event! Learn more about hosting a fundraiser.
- Do you have a permanency story to share? We’d love to hear from you. All perspectives and permanency experiences are welcome. We’re especially interested in amplifying the voices of adoptees and people who joined their families through other forms of permanency, and from birth/first family members with open relationships. Contact Brianna at bbrashnyberg@bcadoption.com or message or tag us @bcadopt on social media.
Help Us Help Kids
Donate today and help us help the over 1,000 kids in BC waiting for a family.