News Release Archive
COMMUNITY SERVICES--NATIONAL ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH ------------------------------------------------------------ Community Services Minister Jim Smith today proclaimed November as National Adoption Awareness Month in Nova Scotia. Adoption Awareness Month is celebrated each year to focus attention on the need for adoptive families and to thank the many families who have adopted children. Dr. Jim Smith said, "As we celebrate adoptive families we should remember that there are many children in Nova Scotia who are waiting to be adopted. There is a pressing need for permanent, nurturing and supportive families to open their homes and their hearts to these children." The minister said fewer infants are available for adoption through agencies and the numbers continue to decrease. The average waiting period to adopt an infant or a pre-schooler is up to 10 years with no guarantees of placement. "The majority of children presently coming into care have special placement needs, including older school age children, children of a minority race, physically disabled or mentally challenged children, or children with emotional or behavioural problems." Dr. Smith said there is also a pressing need to find adoptive homes for sibling groups so that two or more children in the same family can stay together. He added that people adopting children today are not only childless couples, but single parents, members of minority groups and couples with children. In 1993, there were 294 adoptions granted in Nova Scotia. Of the total, 78 were agency adoptions, 187 were private, relative adoptions and 29 were private, non-relative. Anyone interested in obtaining additional information on adoption should contact the nearest office of the Department of community Services, Children's Aid Societies, Family and Children's Service Agencies and child placing agencies. -30- Contact: Harry Chapman 902-424-3265 trp Nov. 01, 1995