Parenting

The Adopted Voice column was inspired by the #FlipTheScript hashtag campaign, which draws attention to the importance of adoptee voices, especially during Adoption Awareness Month. In this issue, we hear from Catherine Moore, who is both an adoptee and adoptive mother.

In BC, approximately half of  the adoptions that take place every year are foster parents adopting their foster kids. In this article, you'll meet the Ewasiuk-Pohl family, and get a glimpse into that world.

The Kirkbys adopted their daughter from China just shy of her first birthday. In this audio interview, Sheila shares their family story and how AFABC’s education and community connections helped them feel prepared.

Click the audio player below to listen. 

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

Guardianship is a court process based on the Family Law Act that offers a way for anyone to create permanency for a child by becoming their guardian. This article explores its many similarities to adoption, and its key differences. 

What is guardianship? 

Becoming a guardian means that you are responsible for all the decisions, care, supervision, and day-to-day decisions for a child. When parents are absent or unable to raise their children, other parents, family members, or grandparents often step in to help. 

In the last few decades, openness in adoption has become the norm. Professional research and the personal experiences of adoptees and birth parents support the idea that some degree of openness is usually best for everyone, even in adoptions from foster care. That doesn't mean it's always easy, though. In this article, Sarah, an adoptive mom, explains how her family navigated an unexpectedly rough patch in their open adoption journey.

Tips for families in transition

On February 1, 2016, my husband and I went from being just a couple to being the parents of three kids: a 9-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl, and a 1-year-old boy. Even though we had been praying for this for years, it was overwhelming when it actually happened! Looking back, here are seven things I wish I’d known a year ago.

There are hundreds of teenagers in foster care who need permanent homes. In this interview Paula^*, a mom who’s adopted four youth, shares her journey.
^*all names have been changed to protect the family's privacy.

Tell me about your family.

I live in a small, coastal town. I’m a single mom. I have seven children: Naomi (27), Tessa (25), Jack (24),  Rob (23), Cameron (21), Justin (18), and Blake (17).

Storytelling can help your child receive a more accurate assessment