Helping Clear the Muddy Waters of Adoption in Ontario

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2012 /CNW/ - The Adoption Council of Ontario has launched a new website (http://adoption.on.ca) as part of an initiative to improve the delivery of information services about adoption, thanks to funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and financial support from developer c-Seven Media. The Adoption Council of Ontario received a $109,300 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation in March of 2011. In addition to improving information services, the grant has also allowed the Council to develop new marketing campaigns and expand upon their existing programs.

The new Adoption Council of Ontario website is the most complete online resource for materials and information pertaining to adoption in Ontario. The core features include an interactive map of adoption resources and support providers in the province, an up-to-date events calendar to help prospective parents find training sessions and informational seminars, and a great wealth of articles and educational content.

For the thousands of prospective adoptive parents in Ontario, adoption can be a daunting and confusing process. But it is an essential one, especially for the hundreds of youth living in foster care and awaiting a family they can call their own forever. It is thus of cardinal importance that information and guidance be easily available to those who need it. Thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation, those resources are more accessible than ever, paving the way to a time when no adoptive parents need be in the dark and no child need be without a family.

Adoption has increasingly been a hot button issue at the federal and provincial level with legislators like Essex MP Jeff Watson, himself an adoptee and adoptive father, working to develop a coherent national adoption policy. In Ontario, the government-backed 2009 Expert Panel on Adoption and Infertility produced many recommendations which are still being debated and implemented. Will Falk, co-chair of that panel, is a staunch ACO supporter. "The Adoption Council of Ontario has long been the place to turn for information about adoption in Ontario," says Mr. Falk. "The more easily the vital information services of the ACO can be accessed by those who need them the better. This is an excellent use of Ontario Trillium Foundation funds."

The Adoption Council of Ontario, a not-for-profit organization, has been helping families in Ontario navigate their adoption journey for 25 years . "Outreach and education have always been among our primary mandates," says Pat Convery, executive director of the ACO. "We need to break down barriers and reach people through the channels they are most comfortable with. This is why we are refocusing our efforts online, not only through this website, but on Facebook, on Twitter, on our blog, and in our informational webinars."

A leading grant-maker in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES:

Pat Convery (Executive Director, Adoption Council of Ontario) - "This new website will serve as our flagship and first point of contact for the increasingly connected world of adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parents, adult adoptees, youth, and adoption professionals. I can't overstate how important the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation has been in making this happen."

Will Falk (Executive Fellow at the Mowat Centre and Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto); Co-Chair, Adoption Working Group, Expert Panel on Infertility and Adoption; and adoptive father of two boys) - "The Adoption Council of Ontario's outreach programs are of great value in bringing families together and ensuring that no child in Ontario is without a forever home. It is wonderful to see them bringing their expertise and passion online in such an effective way for the benefit of all Ontarians touched by adoption."

For further information:

Adoption Council of Ontario
36 Eglinton Ave W, suite 202
Toronto, Ontario
M4R 1A1
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Twitter: @ontarioadopts
Web: http://adoption.on.ca

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Pat Convery
Executive Director
[phone] Ext 2666
[email protected]

D.F. McCourt
Online Editor
[phone]
[email protected]