adoption | TAN - The Afro News

Posted on 24 November 2011. Tags: adoption, CANADA, Ethiopia

Will, Susie and Abdu Photo by Keri Coles

Unexpected Gifts

By Susie : Four years into our marriage, my husband, Will, and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to become parents.

Neither of us had a particular desire to have children who looked like us, so the fact that there are millions of kids in the world in need of families prompted us to look into adoption.

Little did we suspect what a life-changing journey we were embarking on.

Two long years after signing our local adoption agency’s application form, we were handed our beautiful infant son in the sitting room of a transition home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Abdu was a very energetic and happy child, and was simply thrilled to have two adults lavishing attention on him all day long.

He immediately began attaching to us, and we to him. Like it is for most new parents, the transition into parenthood was rewarding but hard. The lack of sleep and nonstop activity left us more exhausted than we’d ever been before. But at the end of each day as we stood and watched our son sleep, Will and I also felt happier than we’d ever been before.

As the three of us became more confident in our new roles and routines, Will and I realized that raising Abdu would not be the same as raising a biological child would have been. Our little family was now one third Ethiopian, and our family culture would need to reflect that. But a strong Ethiopian- Canadian identity is not something we could give Abdu on our own. Luckily I had a good friend who is Ethiopian, and she often invited us into her home.

Over traditional Ethiopian coffee she introduced us to Ethiopian families who had children Abdu’s age.

In addition, we looked for a part-time caregiver who was Ethiopian. And so, a year after arriving in Canada, Abdu began to spend two days a week with a wonderful Ethiopian woman who fed him Ethiopian food, spoke to him in Amharic, put him to sleep by carrying him on her back, and just simply loved him like he was her own.

Incorporating a new culture into our family routine has enriched our lives in so many ways.

The many new friends we’ve made, both within the Ethiopian community and within the adoption community, would likely never have come into our lives had we not adopted Abdu. The food, celebrations, art, music, literature and rich history of Ethiopia are all things that Abdu has brought into our lives.

www.choicesadoption.ca / 250.479.9811

The Jolie-Pitt Family

November is Adoption Awareness Month

By Holly Allen : CHOICES Adoption is happy to celebrate adoption this month with families and the community. Adoption awareness month is a wonderful time to celebrate adoption locally and internationally. While we know children wait for families around the globe there are over 1200 children who wait for families in BC. Adoption continues to be an extraordinary way to create your family. CHOICES is excited to be out in the community celebrating adoption. We will be walking in the Santa Clause Parade in Victoria, sharing stories with families, decorating a tree at the Festival of Trees and fundraising with a Krispy Kreme donut drive. This month I have decided to choose an adoption story, “Bean Trees” for my book club. How will you celebrate adoption this November? Our Executive Director, Cheryl Fix and all of us at CHOICES want to wish you a happy November. Adoption awareness month has been a part of the community for over 30 years. View the North American Council on Adoptable Children for more information on the history of adoption awareness month: http://www.nacac.org/

Here are a few facts about adoption: there are currently more boys than girls in foster care in BC waiting for a permanent family.

One in three people are connected by adoption. You are never too old to be adopted. Find out more about adoption by visiting our website: www.choicesadoption.ca

November 27, 2011 CHOICES has a free information session at the Vancouver English Centre (250 Smithe Street) from 2pm to 4pm.

Call CHOICES to register 1 888 479 9811. For a free information package email choices@choicesadoption.ca www.choicesadoption.ca

The Story of Keesia Adoptive Families Association of BC’s

Anne Melcombe, AFABC’s WWK worker is looking for that perfect fit for Keesia

By Ryan Mitchell The Afro News Vancouver

Keesia is a preteen like most; loves to sing and dance, is athletic and recently represented her school in a high jump competition. The biggest difference between Keesia and other preteens is that Keesia is waiting for a family to call her own.

“I really would like to be adopted and know that I am part of a real family that will be there for me through the thick and thin.’ says Kesha, a twelve year old Caucasian/West African girl.

Keesia is part of the Adoptive Families Association of BC’s (AFABC) Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, sponsored by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Rachel Timmins, AFABC Communication Coordinator, talks about AFABC and the importance of families for all children, from babies to teens.

“AFABC Started back in 1977 around a kitchen table. Parents in the community felt a need to gather and support each other. It grew from there to this organisation that you see now with over 20 staff members. We have been around for more than thirty years. We serve all of BC, providing support and information to parents who are thinking about adopting, who have adopted, in the process of adopting or even adoptees themselves. One of our new initiatives is our teen project which focuses on teen adoption.”

Anne Melcombe, AFABC’s WWK worker is looking for that perfect fit for Keesia “She wants to be a singer or even a model . Keesia is athletic and musical; she has a good sense of humour and can be quite charming. ” Melcombe states. “Her enthusiasm and cheerfulness help her cope with the many transitions in her life.”

Melcombe states the reason for her urgency in finding a family for Keesia. “Keesia has had too many changes in her life, including many moves in foster care. She is a great kid who has not found a family yet.”

Melcombe emphasizes the importance of Keesia staying connected to her cultural roots, “Although Keesia has had some exposure to African culture, she would really benefit from knowing more about her cultural roots.”

Anne Melcombe mentions the importance of children’s cultural identity.

“The core of their identity is both their cultural background and their family background. For children who are visible minorities in our community, it is really important for them to understand where they come from, how they fit in the community, what to expect from the community, and connect with people who can help them figure out how deal with racism and be proud of who they are to help them feel good about themselves.”

“We would love to find Kesha a family in the African-Canadian community or a family with previous experience parenting adopted children of African descent.” Just before the interview, a family was interested in adopting Kesha but unfortunately they lived in New Mexico. “We really need B.C residents due to adoption laws in the province.”

“Five years ago the long term plan for Keesia would have been to put her in independent living once she reached 17 or 18.” Melcombe says.

Timmins reiterates that teenage adoption is still a new and growing initiative, “Only recently there has been a push for adoption plans to be made for teens.”

The founder of Wendy’s, Dave Thomas founded a charity called Wendy’s Wonderful Kids. As an adopted child himself, Thomas wanted the many children who are in foster care to be placed in permanent homes. Anne describes the new program under AFABC.

Melcombe talks about how she decided to be involved in recruiting children for adoption, “I now have more than 20 years experience as a foster parent, and when I wanted to a family I choose adoption.” She adopted two African American children. “It wasn’t a decision I went into lightly. I really thought about it hard and felt that I could serve their needs. One is 14 and the other is 17, and I feel that they are fairly connected into the black community. I also adopted one of my foster children, who was 15 when she was placed with me. She is now 29 and has three children of her own.” Anne felt a need to be even more involved in the adoption processes. “At some point when I was a foster parent, I made a decision to go back to school because I wanted to do adoption work. After I finished school a position opened for a child specific recruiter and it seemed like the right fit for me.”

Melcombe and Timmins look ahead to the future of adoption, and are quite optimistic about the increase of adoption of older children like Keesia. They hope the change in government policy and the popularity of adoption within American pop culture will create more awareness of the children and teens who are waiting for families.

www.bcadopt.com,

BC’s Waiting Child Info Line: 1-800-ADOPT-07

anyone interested in finding out more about Keesia can contact Anne Melcombe at 604-320-7330 ext. 117