The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO) believes that every child and youth deserves a family that will always love and nurture them. For some children, the family they need comes to them through adoption. As a result, CASO is always looking to grow and diversify the community of people looking to adopt a child when reuniting with their biological parents is no longer an option. What these children really need is a stable, loving and encouraging environment to grow up and flourish in — a home where children can reach their full potential.
Here is just one adoptive parent’s experience with adopting a 12-year-old boy, to help illustrate the enrichment that adoption can provide for all involved.
“When I decided to adopt my son, I knew my life would change, I just didn’t know how,” Greg says. “For me, I learned that the most important thing is having patience and being open minded, not expecting the child to come in and conform. The people that need to be flexible are the parents.
“My experience wasn’t all roses, but I wouldn’t change it for the world, not just because of where my son is now, but because of how we both evolved through this process. My son was definitely a challenge when he first came into our home, but then, as we started working through his issues together — and with the external help provided by the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa — he managed to complete high school, managed to go to college and now he’s a great young man. He was always a great kid, but it can be tough coming into a new home. My son is proof that if you give a kid a chance, they can make it.”
“It doesn’t happen overnight,” Greg says. “Healing takes time, whether it’s from a physical wound or an emotional wound, healing takes time.”
This story and the countless others like it illustrate that although some children may have challenges, they all have one thing in common — a need for a safe and loving home and a lifelong bond to a family.
At CASO, children looking for adoptive homes range in age from infants to teens. Sixty-one percent of children available for adoption are aged 13 and up, but constituted only four percent of the 830 children and youth adopted across Ontario last year. Adopting an older child is not the first thing many people think of when they consider adoption, but by adopting an older youth, you could be the difference they need to successfully transition into adulthood. People who are open to parenting special needs children, sibling groups or older children are encouraged to consider adoption.
If you are considering adopting, please visit our web site at casott.on.ca to review profiles of currently waiting children, or contact the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa to learn more about the adoption process.
Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa
casott.on.ca
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