November is Adoption Awareness Month: Adoption agencies are working together to reduce the stigma surrounding adoption in Alberta
Adoption is often an overlooked and misunderstood topic - let's understand the facts
CALGARY, AB, Nov. 2, 2023 /CNW/ - November is Adoption Awareness Month and non-profit agencies working to place children in adoptive, permanent homes are collaborating to educate Albertans on the facts of adoption and reduce stigma around it.
The Adoption is More movement provides support, understanding, and accurate information for all Albertans. While the stories of children being placed in a loving, adoptive home may be familiar to some, too often the story of the birth parents are left out or they are shamed for making the very difficult decision to place their child for adoption.
"As a birth parent, the decision to place my child for adoption was not a bad decision, but it was a difficult one," says Tina Johnson, who placed her child for adoption through a licensed adoption agency and now runs a support group for birth mothers. "For many birth parents, there is grief, pain, and trauma from the decision, but that doesn't take away from it being the right decision for both them and their child."
In Alberta, birth parents and adoptive families can go through dedicated and licensed non-profit adoption agencies, in addition to Government of Alberta avenues. These agencies provide counseling, support, and other services to birth families and ensure prospective adoptive families are able to provide a loving and caring home for a child.
"The topic of adoption comes with several misconceptions," says Tandela Swann of Amaris Adoptions, a licensed non-profit Alberta adoption agency. "Adoption is so much more than just the placement of a child into a family. It is a complex series of people, emotions, journeys, traumas and circumstances that come together to create a complete adoption story."
"For the women who have chosen to place a child for adoption it is a love and strength-based decision," says Sheryl Proulx of Adoption Options, another licensed Alberta non-profit adoption agency. "Throughout the whole process, the child's needs and well-being are paramount, but we need to remember that the adoption process must include supports for both birth and adoptive parents."
In 2021, nine per cent of Canadians reported being adopted as a child. Each year, across Canada about 1,200 children are adopted domestically, however, more than 20,000 children await adoption and many will become adults while never having been adopted by a family. Current wait times for adoption can vary anywhere from two to four years for prospective adoptive families hoping to adopt a healthy newborn baby. If families are open to taking on a child with special needs, such as prenatal exposure, the need is greater making wait times shorter.
Placing a child for adoption is a deeply thoughtful and emotionally challenging decision made out of love and concern for that child's future. For additional and accurate information about adoption in Alberta, please visit adoptionismore.com.
Adoption is More is an initiative of the three licensed non-profit adoption agencies in Alberta: Amaris Adoptions, Adoption Options, and A Small Miracle Adoption. Adoption is More raises awareness, reduces stigma, and develops an understanding of what modern adoption looks like in Alberta. It strives to ensure the stories of the child, birth parents, and adoptive parents are not forgotten or overshadowed in the process. The agencies facilitate domestic adoptions and work to bring children together with loving families. For more information, visit adoptionismore.com.
SOURCE Adoption is More
Media Contact: Paula Worthington, Worthington PR & Story, For Adoption is More, [email protected], 403-585-2429
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