The Ministry of Children and Family Development is investing $2 million in one-time-only funding to help more children and youth in care to find forever homes through adoption and guardianship.

This funding will increase the number of home studies being done so a greater number of families are approved to adopt or permanently care for children and youth. Home studies are mandatory because they help social workers assess the strengths and parenting abilities of the adoptive family or guardian. These assessments help ensure that only the very best family matches are made for each child and youth needing a permanent home.

Funding will go to ten organizations and agencies that will prepare plans that focus on finding permanency for children and youth in care. These plans will:

• Include techniques to identify and recruit specific families who can offer permanent homes that directly respond to the unique needs of certain children and youth in care.
• Help prepare prospective adoptive families to receive a child or youth permanently into their home.
• Consider the culture, religion and ethnicity of children and youth in care in order to ensure that they remain connected to their heritage.

The ministry is committed to placing 300 children and youth in adoptive homes by March 31, 2015, and approximately 150 in permanent guardianship environments.

Reinvigorating adoption and permanency is part of the ministry’s commitment to ensure all children and youth in care have the best possible opportunities for success in life. Without strong, supportive, meaningful and long-term connections to responsible, caring adults, it is much harder for kids to grow into healthy, contributing adults.

Quotes:

Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development -

“There are currently more than 1,000 children and youth in B.C. who are waiting to find forever homes, and about 400 prospective parents who are in various stages of the adoption process. This investment will encourage adults interested in adopting one of B.C.’s waiting children to commit to the process of adopting, while accelerating home studies so 300 children and youth can be matched to waiting parents over the next year.”

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, B.C. Representative for Children and Youth -

“This is a positive sign for children in B.C. We have to clear the backlog and do much more to find permanent placements for children in care after showing little progress for many years. I'm delighted the minister has demonstrated leadership and these are the right first steps to take if we will ever address the backlog of homes and families wanting to support a child or siblings in care with that forever family. I thank those families for coming forward and completely support the minister and MCFD in making sure these families will be served in a prompt and respectful manner. We will have more discussions with MCFD about other things that require improvement, but this is an essential step.”

Karen Madeiros, Adoptive Families Association of BC executive director -

“Studies show that having a family is the single most important determinant of success in adulthood. Children and youth who grow up with security and unconditionally committed adults, can become vibrant, contributing members of society, and this funding will help us to improve and build on our strategies for connecting B.C.’s waiting children and youth with those families and supports.”

“We’ll also commit extra resources to providing supports to adoptive families in all areas of B.C. to make sure they have a solid beginning. Adoption is hard work — hard for the new parents and especially hard for these children who have been asked, sometimes several times, to make a leap of trust and faith. We believe that children grow best in families, and with this additional support from MCFD, we’ll help to plant them there.”

Linda Lucas, Indigenous Perspectives Society executive director -

“The funding received by Indigenous Perspectives Society supports the successful permanency placements of Aboriginal children in foster care. Working in partnership with MCFD, our goal is to strengthen the connections and reunite Aboriginal children to their family, community, and culture.”

Cindy Packer, adoptive parent -

“Permanency is a safe and stable environment where each child is supported and encouraged to grow their talents and celebrate themselves - a lifelong guarantee of connection.”

Brittney, aged 20, former youth in care -

“We all need someone or something to fall back on like a safety net.” 

Quick Facts:

• Adoption is when a family or an individual legally takes on responsibilities for the care of a child and raises the child as their own (i.e., the child legally becomes part of the family caring for them).
• Guardianship is when family or an individual legally takes on responsibilities for the care of a child, but the legal relationship ends at age 19.
• Permanency happens when a child or youth in care is placed in an arrangement from which they will not be moved until they become an adult. Examples not only include adoption and guardianship arrangements, but also arrangements like youth agreements.
• Youth agreements provide residential, educational or other support services, and financial assistance to a youth through a plan for independence. Ministry staff conduct home visits and work with the young person to ensure the right supports are in place.
• There are four domains of permanency:
  • Legal permanency is achieved through legally binding custodial arrangements, such as family reunification, guardianship or adoption.
  • Relational permanency is a strong, long-lasting connection between a child or youth and a biological family member or siblings, school staff, foster caregiver, social worker, youth worker, community member, or an organization such as the Adoptive Families Association of BC.
  • Physical permanency is achieved by creating a safe, stable, healthy and long-term living arrangement.
  • Cultural permanency is a continued, constant connection to culture and heritage regardless of what else is changing in a child or youth’s life.
• In 2012-13, the Ministry of Children and Family Development placed 212 children and youth in care for adoption. Of these, 34 youth aged 12 and older found permanent families.
• Nearly 1,300 children and youth in care in B.C. have found permanent homes through adoption in the past five years. The length of time it takes to adopt a waiting child in B.C. through the ministry varies depending on the family and type of child they want to adopt. A home study can take from three to nine months, depending on individual circumstances.
• The $2-million investment will accelerate home studies throughout B.C. to shorten wait times for prospective adoptive parents, and will also focus on child-specific recruitment - working to find permanency for children and youth through people they already have in their lives.
• There is no cost for prospective parents to adopt a child or youth through the ministry.

Learn More:

British Columbians wanting to adopt a teen or looking for more information on adoption have a number of options. They can:

• Contact their nearest MCFD adoption office: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/adoption/contacts_regional.htm
• Explore the adoption tab on the ministry’s website: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/adoption/index.htm
• Email: WaitingChild@bcadoption.com
• Contact the Adoptive Families Association: www.bcadoption.com
• Call 1 877 ADOPT-07 (1 877 236-7807)

More information on alternatives to foster care and guardianship can be found at: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/alternativestofostercare/index.htm

For more on youth agreements, visit: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/youth/agreements.htm

Information on the Parent Adoption Support Services (PASS) program can be found at: www.bcadoption.com/parent-adoption-support-services

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1639

(flickr.com)

BACKGROUNDER

Organizations receiving permanency funding in B.C.

The Indigenous Perspectives Society (formerly Caring for First Nations Children Society) is receiving $639,000 to:

• Assist with the development of permanency and cultural safety plans for Aboriginal children and youth in care.
• Collaborate with Aboriginal communities, bands and tribes to support permanency planning for Aboriginal children.
• Work with B.C.’s delegated Aboriginal agencies to place Aboriginal children and youth in care of the province into permanent homes.

The Adoptive Families Association of BC is receiving $596,000 to:

• Provide the On-Line Adoption Education Program, which is a mandatory step for those looking to adopt a child or youth from care. Providing this program online will improve access for prospective adoptive parents, so they can complete the program according to their schedules.
• Assist with techniques and strategies to identify and recruit families and individuals that can meet the unique needs of children and youth looking for permanent homes.
• Explore Aboriginal communities for prospective adoptive parents, recruit Aboriginal families that can meet the unique needs of Aboriginal children and youth looking for permanent homes, and complete cultural plans that ensure Aboriginal children and youth remain connected to their culture, traditions, communities and language.
• Develop pre-placement and transition plans and help prepare children and youth to move into permanent home environments.
• Expand the Parent Adoption Support Services (PASS) program provincially. This program provides therapeutic, intensive family support in the first six months of a placement to make sure the placement has a solid beginning. Currently, the program is provided in parts of the Lower Mainland and Capital Region.
• Provide full psychological assessments for kids with special needs who require therapeutic placements.

Family Services of Greater Vancouver is receiving $155,000 to:

• Complete home studies, assessments and proposal packages for adoption, foster and guardianship homes.
• Undertake family finding, file reviews to identify adults involved in the child’s life and develop genograms for children and youth in care in order to identify family members that may be able to adopt or become permanent guardians of their kin. Genograms are family trees or family histories that provide the child or youth and the worker with a complete picture of the family options for permanency.
• Provide transition support services to adoptive families in the northern Fraser area.

The Adoption Centre (Kelowna Community Resources) is receiving $150,000 to:

• Complete home studies, assessments and proposal packages for adoption, foster and guardianship homes.
• Administer the Adoption Education Program, which is a mandatory step for those looking to adopt a child or youth from care. This will allow more adoptive applicants to take the program by increasing the number of course offerings.
• Prepare children and youth to transition into permanent home environments.

The PACE Program is receiving $120,000 to:

• Support healthy transitions and deliver services to families who adopt or are the permanent guardians of children and youth in care in the Lower Mainland.

CHOICES Adoption and Counselling Services is receiving $100,000 to:

• Complete home studies, assessments and proposal packages for adoption, foster and guardianship homes.

The Sunrise Family Services Society is receiving $100,000 to:

• Complete home studies, assessments and proposal packages for adoption, foster and guardianship homes.

The Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society (formerly called Xyolhemeylh) is receiving $50,000 to:

• Provide a Supported Family and Cultural Connections worker who will:
  • Develop genograms for all children and youth in care that fall within the society’s delegation.
  • Develop proposal packages for adoption and guardianship homes.
  • Complete cultural safety agreements.

Abbotsford Community Services is receiving $50,000 to:

• Look for family members who may be able to adopt or become permanent guardians of their kin in care.

Consortium for Children is receiving $40,000 to:

• Ensure that all staff conducting home study assessments have received the same training that MCFD adoption social workers receive to enhance quality and best practice.

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1639