BC's Waiting Children

One of the most common questions our Family Support Workers get is “Where are all the babies?” Heather Ratzlaff, former Family Support team member and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter, had this to say on the topic.

In Canada today, contraceptives, abortion, and support for expectant and single mothers are more widely available than ever before. This has led to fewer available infants.

We are so happy to announce that the Lafortune family is the second-place winner of our 2020 Faces of Family contest! Congratulations to the Lafortunes! They have won a Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 camera, generously donated by our sponsor, Broadway Camera. Visit them today for all your camera and video needs!

Read more about the Lafortune family and how they adopted sibling boys through the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). 

Here are some fast facts and information about adoption in BC. All numbers supplied by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), current as of November 2019.

Families in BC adopted 1,400 kids from government care in the past five years, but there are many more children and youth who are still waiting.

In ongoing this series, we interview experts about your key questions about adoption.

Are you an expert wanting to lend your knowledge to our families? Email us at editor@bcadoption.com.

Here are some of the articles from our long-running Diary of an Adoptive Mom series. This adoptive mother shares her experiences and secret thoughts of raising three children. This series ran from 2006 to 2010.

Note: Diary entries #1 to #7 are unavailable 

The Kenos say that you're never too old to provide a family for kids who need it. Here they share their story, along with why being an AFABC Member was important to them.

Mary Ellen and her husband already had three daughters, but they knew they had more love to give. 

Growing their family through adoption has been busy and exhausting for the Carroll family. Jennifer shares their story, along with why being an AFABC Member is important to their family.

Finding the right match

Advice from a counsellor on how to recognize and help wounded children and youth.

Trauma: adoption’s shadow

Many children and youth who are adopted have been exposed to highly stressful situations and traumatic events; however, the resulting special needs these children can experience aren’t always recognized or supported. It’s vital for caregivers and professionals to learn the signs and symptoms of trauma as they present in children and youth, and to know how to find and access age-appropriate trauma-informed 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" all the time.