Truth be told our children and youth need much more than an additional 15-week attachment leave, but by delivering this attachment leave, the Government of Canada would be standing up for families who are supporting their children and youth's needs when they join their family through adoption, kinship, or customary care. 

Kids and teens deserve enough time to build these new and complex attachments. 35 weeks is simply not enough time for a youth like me to feel comfortable with an entirely different family, let alone build trust with these unknown parental figures.

Dès que ma fille a commencé l’école, elle avait besoin de mon attention tous les jours. Toutes les occasions étaient bonnes pour me sauter sur les genoux.

Our elder daughter laments to us that she is “running out of time,” because she was in-and-out of foster care for seven years and didn’t come home with us until she was eleven.

I spoke up about my adoption experience. I no longer felt alone, because I had all of these wonderful women by my side working to make changes too.

Nous avions une apparence et une odeur différentes, et parlions très peu mandarin. Nous l’avons sortie de l’orphelinat peu après avoir fait sa connaissance pour l’emmener à un hôtel où rien n’était pareil.

They had been neglected, witnessed domestic violence and possibly been abused. They showed many signs of being traumatized.

Our doctor likened our experience to PTSD, after we adopted our twins internationally.