Helping kids find their “forever families”
Recent global events have propelled the topic of adoption
into public consciousness. In Canada there are approximately 22,000 children
(Crown wards) waiting to be adopted into loving families. With over 9,200 children
available for adoption within the Ontario foster care system alone, the need is
great for prospective adoptive parents.
Adoption is a great way to start or expand a family for many
individuals, including single prospective parents, families who already have
children, same-sex couples, and older adult couples. Children in care who are
available for adoption come from a wide variety of backgrounds and vary in age
from infants to teens. This diverse group of children and potential parents
means that it is possible to match each child with the perfect parent(s) who
will welcome them into their family and provide a stable, accepting, and safe
home environment.
"For me, adoption meant the difference between ever being a parent or never being a parent," said Andrea Weissman-Daniels, a Children's Aid Foundation supporter and Children's Aid Society adoptive parent.
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The Children’s Aid Foundation believes that a loving and
stable family helps children and youth to reach their full potential and that
is why we partnered with Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, the signature program of the
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, in 2005. Dave Thomas, the late founder of
Wendy’s restaurants, was adopted as a child and created his foundation to help
children in foster care find permanent families. The Children’s Aid Foundation
administrates and coordinates the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in partnership
with four child welfare agencies in Canada. A number of the children and youth
waiting to be adopted may be developmentally delayed or require special needs
attention, making it harder to match them with prospective parents. Despite the
challenges, this program has so far matched 40 children with potential
parent(s) and helped 25 youngsters find a loving family to call their own.
“For me, adoption meant the difference between ever being a
parent or never being a parent,” said Andrea Weissman-Daniels, a Children’s Aid
Foundation supporter and Children’s Aid Society adoptive parent. “My personal
beliefs are that children come into our lives on loan, no matter how they come
to us. We are given them in trust to nurture, love, educate, protect and guide
as they experience this thing called life. Adoption is the ultimate application
of such a philosophy and it is full of surprises that will bring you a life of
both joyful tears and humbling challenges. It is such a meaningful journey.”
To learn more about adoption, please contact your local
Children’s Aid Society.
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