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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-12-28, Page 21The Huron Expositor • December 28, 2005 Page 21 News Adoption worker has continued `labour of love' for past 15 years Louanne Taylor helps bring children to 200 families in Huron and Perth County Cheryl Heath Louanne Taylor specializes in happy endings. Officially known as a permanent planning worker with the Huron - Perth Children's Aid Society, Taylor is in fact better known to more than 200 Huron County families as an adoption worker who has helped bring a child — and sometimes more than one — into their loving homes. There are some misconceptions about the adoption process, acknowledges Taylor, who has been helping to place children with adop- tive families since 1982. One of the top incorrect notions, says Taylor, is a plethora of babies available for adoption. In fact, the vast preponderance of children available for adoption are older. It is a rare case when a woman chooses to give her baby up for adoption because of financial, age or social stresses, says Taylor, though that does happen on rare occasions. It is also rare for the CAS to have to find a home for an orphaned child, though that occasionally occurs, too. Taylor cites one case where a 13 - year -old boy was in need of a family after his mother passed away. There was another case where a 17 -year- old teenager from. Africa was in need of a family. She was- also suc- cessfully placed. Still, the preponderance of chil- dren in the care of CAS come from broken homes. Perhaps surprisingly, says Taylor, CAS is dealing with more children than ever and the main reason is not poverty but drug abuse — notably crystal meth and cocaine addiction. The first step in bringing children into care is what is known as "apprehension." After some time, if the child's par- ents are unable to acquire the treat- ment they need or provide a safe home for their child, the CAS may apply for the child to become a ward of the Crown. In the case of children under the age of six, for example, the CAS would create a permanent plan for the child once he or she has been in care for a year. Ideally, notes Taylor, CAS seeks to return the child to his/her parents where possible. Once a child becomes a Crown ward — a process that is rarely sup- ported by the child's birth parents — he or she can be placed with an adoptive family. The most important aspect of the adoption process to consider, says Taylor, is the No. 1 goal of CAS is to place the child in the best possible home. That process, says Taylor, invari- ably proves intrusive to prospective adoptive parents who must undergo a series of interviews, a medical exam and a police record check. Some characteristics that may preclude prospective parents from adopting a child include an impaired driving or assault con- viction or a life-threat- ening illness. It is not uncommon fo rwould-be parents to require counselling at the start of the process, says Taylor, because many adoptive parents are unable to conceive and must be given a chance to grieve that loss. "Adoption is stressful. Parenting is stressful," says Taylor. Prospective parents must also undergo an intensive home study, which focuses mostly on safety issues knd requires certain things, like an available bedroom for the child. Though the service is free of charge through the CAS, the back- log is such that people can choose to contract a private home study, which costs around $1,000. Once a family or individual is approved for adoption, the process then begins for the best possible match. That means, says Taylor, a family in Huron or Perth counties could be matched with a child from any CAS in the province. "We find a lot of good homes that way," she says. A prospective parent's wishes are always considered when matching a family and child, says Taylor. However, a family with fewer restrictions is likely to be matched sooner than one that wants a specif- ic type of child. When a child is matched with a family, a probationary adoption period begins with periodic visits from Taylor. "With adoption, you don't have nine months to prepare," says Taylor. "There's a big adjustment no matter what the age of the child. Your whole life turns upside down." Usually, says Taylor, a maximum of 12 months passes before the child is officially adopted to a family through the courts. Over the years, Taylor has matched families with children ranging in age from newborn to age 12. Most children, notes Taylor, falls in the ages one to 12 range. And while babies are somewhat rare, there is what are called concurrent homes wherein babies in borderline crisis situ- ations are placed until a parent is able J to get the help she needs. If the mother proves unwilling or unable to provide a safe and stable home, the concurrent family then has the opportunity to adopt the child. Though there aren't any hard and fast rules for adoptive parents sta- tistically speaking, the average adoptive parent is in his/her 30s. And while single people can adopt, those in relationship or mar- riage must be together a minimum of two years before being approved for adoption. And while many people choose adoption through CAS, the private adoption route — though equally regulated — is available, too, and is most often used by those seeking to adopt babies. "We are here to represent the wel- fare of the child," she says, acknowl- edging while some critics question tfie society's powers, it is nonethe- All=11)Th `Seeing a child with the parents they deserve is wonderful,'- Huron -Perth Children's Aid Society worker Louanne Thylor less a lofty job that deserves to be treated as such. Taylor says some prospective par- ents express frustration at what can be a sometimes lengthy process when no licence is required to be a parent for the general public. When that happens, says Taylor, she asks the person to consider what would happen if they could no longer take care of their beloved child. "We're given the responsibility of choosing someone's parent. We have to choose the best possible home for that child," she says. "That's how we operate here." About 25 children are adopted in Huron and Perth counties every year and the trend seems to indi- cate more — rather than fewer — children will be available for adop- tion in the years to come. Taylor is quick to acknowledge her job is the envy of many of her peers within the CAS since there are so many happy endings. But, says Taylor, there is more than a fair 'share of the sad, too. Examples include families who aren't paired with the child they sought or concurrent homes where the baby is returned to the birth parent. All told, says Taylor, the most important thing is the welfare of the child. "Seeing a child with the parents they deserve is wonderful. I love it when a child says, 'I couldn't have asked for better parents,"' she says. "It's a big responsibility.. When it works it is wonderful." Taylor, who notes she receives so many Christmas cards from both adoptees and adoptive families that she could wallpaper her office with them, says her job is very much a labour of love. "You name it, we've placed the child," says Taylor, adding she has found homes for children with a range of challenges, including spina bifida and cerebral palsy. "We've been so fortunate in finding fami- lies." Those interested in learning more about adoption are urged to contact the Huron -Perth CAS at 524-7356.