Three years after starting the project to write my book on the voices of adopted youth (see my blog on September 26, 2017), I am so pleased to announce mission accomplished!  23: Voices of Adopted Youth is complete and available in print and as an e-reader!  I am so very grateful for all 23 of the youth who gave their valuable time to help make this book possible.  Click here for more details.

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I can see that I'm definitely slowing down in my blog posts. I'm busy these days and writing here is usually not on my mind. However, when something significant happens in the adoption field, I like to share my thoughts. Reading this past weekend Globe and Mail, I came across this announcement from the province of New Brunswick: On April 1, 2018, Birth Records Related To An Adoption Are Being Opened in New Brunswick. No doubt, I was very happy to read this, but that feeling was truly through ...
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It may have taken 16 years, but I finally feel the urge to write another book. Since Rosie continues to happily make her way into the hands of many children, I felt I should honour her for her tenacity, longevity, and stick to it-ness. Technically she should be 23 years old, right? Well, she was 7 in 2001 and so...she has to be 23 in 2017.  As a 23 year old, Rosie probably has some great insight to share with the world about her adoption experience. So, it makes perfect sense that my next boo...
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When your child's behaviour is difficult, can you hear yourself saying things like "he's doing that on purpose, you know, to push my buttons" or maybe you refer to your child as manipulative or controlling. I know you love your kids and desperately want to feel you're in control and know what’s going on but... holy smokes people; are you serious? Why are you giving a child so much credit? To presume that a child is in control of their behaviour when we, the adults, often aren't, is a wee bi...

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I’ve heard it many times. Does this system really work? Will we really be able to adopt? I'm often told stories about people who wanted to adopt but it never happened. So, is there truth to these fearful questions? Yes there is…for some.  But to understand this, we must take a look at the family’s requirements for a child.  Are they asking for a child up to 3 without any potential for health or developmental concerns?  Those two parameters alone - age and development- often do not sync ...

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