Long update...

I've wondered whether or not to post this... but it's hardly a secret any more.

Steve and I want to switch to SN (Special needs). There are lots of reasons, the most important one being to find a child within the age range of our other children.

Here's where I have trouble telling the story without going into a lot of background information. Bottom line, the Provincial gov't is insisting they have to submit our paperwork directly to the CCAA to be matched in the SN stream. If we go that way, we have to sever ties with our agency, and allow the NS gov't to represent us - sounds safe, eh? Typically, in the past, and in most other provinces, families apply to an agency. The agency receives files on children in the SN stream and have the authority of the CCAA to match those children to their families. The NS gov't recently decided that's not okay to do.

Recently in Alberta, the gov't decided not to allow agency matching and the parents responded, including securing legal representation, and the gov't was recommended by their legal team to back off and allow agency matching to continue. The PEI gov't also recently decided to stop agency matching. Parents there have been meeting with the gov't and lawyers to have that decision reversed since mid September.

SOOO, we're not sitting back. I've collected a good number of adoptive parents who agree with me that policy needs to be changed and/or developed to protect parents in Nova Scotia. We're building a plan to put forward a letter writing campaign, request meetings with people, send information to the media.

I'm very nervous, even writing it here, b/c the people we're going up against are the same who will accept or deny our application to adopt and the referral for a child. I'm worried about retribution... but I can't make choices based on that. As long as our paperwork is in place and we have support of a social worker, they have no reason to reject us.

If you're interested in what you can do to help, you can write letters - especially if you live in Nova Scotia. When we get going, I will have a letter I can send you to send onto your MLA or Premier.

N