Post by Dean Robinson on May 17, 2008 9:21:56 GMT -5
Adoption bill misses the mark
Posted 1 day ago
www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1031234
The Ontario government has gone the wrong way in passing Bill 12 this week. The bill concerns the ability of biological parents to contact children they gave up for adoption, and vice versa.
It also provides biological parents with the ability to contact children who were removed from their care by child-welfare agencies such as the Children's Aid Society.
Granted, the children will have to be over the age of 19 before an abusive parent can contact them.
And, adoptions that take place before Sept. 1 of this year will continue to be off the radar.
However, after that, a person convicted of child abuse will be able to find their grown child through government records, after the boy or girl reaches the age of 19.
Some birthday present.
We agree with the concept of biological parents and children finding one another, so long as both are agreed that they want to be found. There are probably as many reasons for a birth parent to choose adoption as there are children to adopt. Some of them, to be sure, have to do with timing.
At the time when this particular child was conceived or born, these particular parents were not prepared to act as such.
Then there are couples and families just longing to welcome a child. Adoption - and, of course, their loving care - make that child their own.
While it's generally agreed to be psychologically healthier for children to be told they are adopted, that choice remains with each individual family.
Imagine, then, a boy or girl, at 19, learning that, not only were they adopted, but they were removed from their birth parents' care because of abuse.
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In many cases, of course, children are old enough to remember being adopted.
This bill repeals existing sections of the Vital Statistics Act that currently allow both adoptees and birth parents to register disclosure vetoes to prevent contact from their parents or biological children adopted before this September.
The paramount concern in any legislation should be the protection of the person least able to protect himself or herself. In this case, that would be the son or daughter who not only survived abuse, but may at a future date, be faced with their abuser trying to recreate an unwanted relationship.
It's a bad idea.
OSPREY MEDIA
Posted 1 day ago
www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1031234
The Ontario government has gone the wrong way in passing Bill 12 this week. The bill concerns the ability of biological parents to contact children they gave up for adoption, and vice versa.
It also provides biological parents with the ability to contact children who were removed from their care by child-welfare agencies such as the Children's Aid Society.
Granted, the children will have to be over the age of 19 before an abusive parent can contact them.
And, adoptions that take place before Sept. 1 of this year will continue to be off the radar.
However, after that, a person convicted of child abuse will be able to find their grown child through government records, after the boy or girl reaches the age of 19.
Some birthday present.
We agree with the concept of biological parents and children finding one another, so long as both are agreed that they want to be found. There are probably as many reasons for a birth parent to choose adoption as there are children to adopt. Some of them, to be sure, have to do with timing.
At the time when this particular child was conceived or born, these particular parents were not prepared to act as such.
Then there are couples and families just longing to welcome a child. Adoption - and, of course, their loving care - make that child their own.
While it's generally agreed to be psychologically healthier for children to be told they are adopted, that choice remains with each individual family.
Imagine, then, a boy or girl, at 19, learning that, not only were they adopted, but they were removed from their birth parents' care because of abuse.
Advertisement
In many cases, of course, children are old enough to remember being adopted.
This bill repeals existing sections of the Vital Statistics Act that currently allow both adoptees and birth parents to register disclosure vetoes to prevent contact from their parents or biological children adopted before this September.
The paramount concern in any legislation should be the protection of the person least able to protect himself or herself. In this case, that would be the son or daughter who not only survived abuse, but may at a future date, be faced with their abuser trying to recreate an unwanted relationship.
It's a bad idea.
OSPREY MEDIA