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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-12-13, Page 32'PAGE .4B-- ODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THUFtSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1973 Give Q home for Christmos (continuiod from page28) When the expected adoption heritage that you de-emphasize takes place alid even though the fact that he is now a mem- the child is now legally yours, ber of your fancily? Might this the Society is available for con- make him feel a stranger sultation when needed. forever? Or un the other hand, Occasionally, the adoption, do you tri to blur the difference does'nt "take" - but 19 out of and pretend it doesn't exifit? 20 placements of older children What happens when it comes to result in an adoption order. the surface? After everyone is satisfied We sometimes hear adopting that the adoption should be parents call , their child "a completed, and the child has chosen child." Or we hear Of been in your home at least six them telling the child they months, the applicatiun is put adopted that,- his "real" before the Judge of the County, parents were killed in an ac; or District or Sunr,Ome Court, cideri,t, These fantasies do not in the jurisdi'ction' where the make for honest com- adopters lis The Order of nrunication between parent and Adoption which the Judge may child. The need to use fantasies make places the child in the may spring from your discom- same relationship as though he fort, either with the child's own had been born to you. background or with the reason The adopted child has the. which led you to adopt as a same rights to inherit from a means of getting a family. parent or grandparent' as the Apart from rescue fantasies natural child. Through the and other romantic tales, a less Registrar General as birth cer- common one nowadays is to tificate can be procured in the - pretend that the adopted child child's new name. was born to you. This practice can lead to a shock to the child later when he discovers the truth, as -he will. These various approaches to adoption are so widespread among people, Children's Aid Societies realize that it takes a certain amount of re -thinking and self -education to he suc cessfu l ai . adopt ion. One of the bonuses of adopting a child through a Children's Aid Society is that often your self awareness is greatly enhanced. The need for honesty yourself, your spouse and your child is so cr.uicial in thtadi p- tive family that it can be the beginning of a new life pattern. Whatever your attitude about adopting is now, there is, only one certainty about it; When you have the experience your feelings willchange and you will change..The child who is imroduced into your family will alter your life.and his own fate will become different too. This is what adoption is all about. Of adoption;_ it its not inter- preted by the Society as a judgment of them as parents. Adoption, whether of an infant or an older child, is a respon- sibility demanding years of commitment. Not everyone can shoulder this no matter how willing the person may be. If " the applic, nts continue their interest in ado rting a child the Society will usually interview the husband and wife together and separately.' The interviews miry " take place 'at the Society office of in the ap- plicants' home. If there are natural children, they are in- cluded as part of the adopting family. This process - 'the adoption study" - rs not,. only for the purpose of getting to know the applicants but is also Al orientation process for t he family. The more the members of the family understand about the adoption, the better they are prepared for it. If the child to be adopted is an infant you will see the. child in the 'Society office before deciding. If he is an older child a casual meeting might' be arranged, perhaps in a restaurant or in the park. If the child does not appeal to you, he does not need to know that he was being seen and .so will not feel rejected. - You and your family are given time to sort out your feelings and may want to meet the -child again. It isn't always "love at first sight." Quite often couples have a wait of two or three months, or even a year or more, before a child is shown to them. They may; meanwhile, hear , of a neighbour who had applied later than they did who alreatly has received a child. Still worse, the neighbour may already have children of her own, either born to her or adopted! It is natural for the ones still waiting to feel that this is "unfair," However, it is not a matter of "sharing out" available children to waiting'. homes. Nor are placements of children always based on the "waiting - list" concept. Each placement is an individual... matter of the child's needs for a particular type of home or -family. The Society, must always put the child's needs first. Taking,root in your family An older child who had become legally available,' for adoption has memories and ex-, periences of his own. No matter what else this history may ih- clude, he or she has known Ott least two homes - his original home and a foster home. Sometimes 'there have been several foster homes. Each time a young child is uprooted rile is upset. His trust in -adults and in himself is severely shaken by these event.;. He may need to have several visits in your home before he can accept going to live with you' "for keeps". , , The Society social worker stays in 'the picture until the child has settled in your home. The challenges in adoption 4, So far we have tried to give you a picture of adoption. today, some of the legal factors and the needs of the child and parents for careful placement and follow-up. We would like to say that after the Adoption Order is made, everyone lives happily ever after. But life -is not that way in natural families and the...sanre holds for adoptive families, the latter haying an extra factor to cope with. The fact that this child is not born to you and may also be of a different racial or cultural heritage, has •d-ifferent meanings for d.iilerent people. These are feelings -you have to sort out. -Do you see yourself as having rescued this child - and, if so, should he be grateful to you? What happens if he isn't? Are you so anxious' to show your respect for his natural Clinton -Centre says night school classes show enrolment .up Conestoga College's Con- tinuing - Education. .program enrolment has increased by almost 2,000 students this year across its seven centres. The Clinton Centre basing its statistics on a period ranging from April to November has an increase of only nine students in their evening classes over last year's count. Larry Rechsteiner, Director r- of Programs for the entire college, attributes the over- whelming success of part-time courses to. improved' planning, development and promotion. He also feels that the college offers the public the kind of educational experiences they identify ,and desire. Courses offered at Clinton starting in January include areas such as real estate, bar - tending, `snowmobile main- parents now IAA1 Parents and school trustees will be given free access to schools under the new Con- solidated Education Act which was given first reading kg the Legislature last week. Under the new Act, parents and school trustees are designated as school visitors and will be able to visit a school at any time. The -designation was previously limited to clergyman and mem- bers of the Legislaturd , A parent will be able to visit a school at which their child is enrolled. 'School trustees may freely visit any school' within the hoard he represents. In presenting the new' Act, Education Minister Thomas Wells said that' solidation is more a of the five acts; 'The Education Act, Th Administration Act, T Schools Act, thea Schools Act and the School and . Boar Education Act rather t introduction of irnajor changes. The consolida1iog, he has removed duplication, biguitieaand obSplete .ref ces, making /the doctt much., Jess , complex therefomuch easier to u Mr. ells said that the C stirtut10 , al position and speci identity Of the Rdman Cathol $epara e schools has 'bee he aop- finetnent istrrof Schools Public parate darty 'of n/an licy aid, m- n- nt d retained irk the consolidation. The Act requires,, that to be eligible for election as a tieparate school trustee a per- son must be a .resident of the board for which he is running and be a separate school elec- or. Mr: Wells said't1 at between ow and the next session of the Legislature 'the Ministry will welcome comments and suggestions about the new. act. They will be given con- sideration before the Bill is reintroduced: at the next sitting of the Legislature. Mr. Wells said that the act will also be given thorough study by the Legislature's . Standing Com- mittee on Social,.Development. THE REASONS lcir insuring locally through our Independent insurance • CONVENIENT SERVICE • LOCAL KNOWLEDGE .CLAIMS & (OVERAGE ADVICE All Types of Insurance a9ancy W.J. HuInsurance Aenc 38 EAST ST GODERICH Don MocEwan 524.8100 524.9131 a McBRINE * French Maid. Kayser & Van Raalte * Full & Half Slips • Panties & Bikinis • White & Colored tenance and safety, fashions, textiles and patterns, the metric ` system and various academic upgrading classes. Party - Step in Fashion this Christmas with a Long Party Dress rom Schaefer's. We have a coil • -: ofthe season's most beau& uI dresses for you to wear with harm and grace. PARIS STAR S.o risi ('(I r Nothing Is usdd more by any woman. Every time she uses it she will be reminded of your thought- fulness. W.E. 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