Let S Talk About Adoption

Explains what adoption is, why a parent might put a child up for adoption, and what is special about being adopted.

The author has been a mother, adoptive mother and foster carer for forty years. Her experience was gained by working within the Local Authority network. This book is intended to act as a guide to would-be adopters as to how the process works within the Local Authority network. A must read for anybody contemplating adoption.

What is Your Story? is an engaging, colourful book that gives children permission to discover their unique journey of adoption or kinship. The book’s goal is to normalize the questions children have, while at the same time normalizing the need to ask them. Divided by activity pages, each chapter can be read independently, and even out of order, in an effort to focus on each child’s specific story. This book can help: -Parents, caregivers, and other adults involved in the adoption or kinship process to have open, honest discussions with children about their unique stories. -Birth parents who want to talk about adoption and kinship with birth children they are not living with. It can help children understand their unique story of why they are not living together with their birth parent(s) and who their birth family is. -Professionals who are preparing children for adoption or kinship placements, as well as therapists working with children who are living through adoption or kinship processes. Special note to parents/caregivers Designed as a fun way to reinforce the content that you have just read together, the activity pages between the chapters are also a natural way to stop reading if you or the child are feeling overwhelmed. This book is more of a journey than a story and sometimes you or your child may need to stay on a chapter until it is comfortable to continue, until all the feelings are felt, or until all the questions are asked. Just like other journeys, detours and construction delays are normal and even expected. Some families might need to reach out to community resources to help manage their feelings and that is encouraged. There are as many ways to read this book, as there are butterflies!

What is Your Story? is an engaging, colourful book that gives children permission to discover their unique journey of adoption or kinship. The book's goal is to normalize the questions children have, while at the same time normalizing the need to ask them. Divided by activity pages, each chapter can be read independently, and even out of order, in an effort to focus on each child's specific story. This book can help: -Parents, caregivers, and other adults involved in the adoption or kinship process to have open, honest discussions with children about their unique stories. -Birth parents who want to talk about adoption and kinship with birth children they are not living with. It can help children understand their unique story of why they are not living together with their birth parent(s) and who their birth family is. -Professionals who are preparing children for adoption or kinship placements, as well as therapists working with children who are living through adoption or kinship processes. Special note to parents/caregivers Designed as a fun way to reinforce the content that you have just read together, the activity pages between the chapters are also a natural way to stop reading if you or the child are feeling overwhelmed. This book is more of a journey than a story and sometimes you or your child may need to stay on a chapter until it is comfortable to continue, until all the feelings are felt, or until all the questions are asked. Just like other journeys, detours and construction delays are normal and even expected. Some families might need to reach out to community resources to help manage their feelings and that is encouraged. There are as many ways to read this book, as there are butterflies

Adoption is not for the faint of heart. Labours of Love chronicles the journeys of Canadians who have overcome heartbreaking obstacles to become parents. Their stories are as diverse as our country, and span the borders of our world. While each account is unique in its own way, the stories are connected by the overwhelmingly commonality of the power of human connection.