Offical ACS statment

Here is the statement ACS has released:

Alberta recognizes the important role adoptive families play and their commitment to enrich their lives, along with their communities, through international adoptions.

International adoptions are changing on an ongoing basis. Increasingly, countries are introducing international adoption programs that encourage parents from other parts of the world to adopt children with very complex medical conditions. These types of adoption requests are relatively new to Alberta. It is important Alberta families have the information they need to make informed decisions when considering international adoptions of children with very complex medical conditions.

To ensure these types of requests are handled in a transparent and consistent manner, Alberta Children’s Services will work with key stakeholders and other Alberta government ministries to develop a policy that will guide the process of accepting international referrals. While this policy is under development, international applications will be accepted and processed, and referrals of children with very complex medical conditions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Children’s Services will consult with Alberta medical experts prior to making decisions related to these adoption requests. International adoption families are encouraged to work with Children’s Services’ staff during this time.

For families wishing to adopt a child from another country who does not have complex medical needs, it is business as usual, and these families will see no change.

The Alberta government invites Albertans to provide their input on this very important issue by emailing CS.communication@gov.ab.ca.
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Nice backpeddling there ACS...let's hope they learned their lesson and won't be promoting such assinine concepts in the future. It would be nice if they apologized to those families who were told their files were suspended, "oh it was just a misunderstanding"...but we won't hold our breath on that one.

Ten months LID

Well 10 months LID. I will celebrate in a couple days by getting my hep a/b final shot :).

What can be said, well, we still are getting too much snow here, and winter has seemed longer than this wait(hard as that is to believe). I have a third Bonsai which is now dropping leaves and threatening to go to the bonsai nursery in the sky, protesting the insanely long winter and saying" I can't handle it any longer, take me now o great gardner of the sky!".

This is distressing, It is my fav one too, hoping it doesn't die, trying to give it some TLC, but it really needs some better light, too cloudy for too long.

My wife is sick of the snowy tv we have(no cable etc) so she got a satellite tv set up on Friday, so now we have hundreds of clear channels to flick through and say, "there is nothing on, what do we have in our DVD collection ;)".

Actually it iwll be nice, catch some home and garden shows, CMT, be able to watch survivor without having to hassle friends about it, so it iwll be nice, and something to do as it continues to snow all the stinkin time here!

ACS update!

Just received word on the ACS situation, it is pasted below:

There's been confirmation that the families who had their files put on
hold have all been contacted by Alberta Children's Services and told
that "it was all a big misunderstanding" and that from now on waiting
children files will be evaluated case by case. This is good news, but
the Alberta families on the waiting children Canadian also don't think
we are completely out of the woods---will be keeping an eye on how
they deal with new referrals. We're pretty sure that everyone's
letters, phone calls, and the media becoming interested made a big
difference in making them realize that this form of discriminatory
action was going to become very public in a hurry.

So, thanks everyone. Some of us are continuing to write letters
expressing our dismay at the turn of events and our hopes that they'll
act fairly and positively towards waiting children and their families
in the future.
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So thati s good news, but I would now urge everyone to write a letter thanking the ACS for "clearing up the misunderstanding" and expressing that you hope broad consideration will be extended to the children in the Waiting Child program.

Lock and load but hold your fire

At this point please hold on firing(emails etc) at ACS, it seems some backpeddling may be happening...If they do plan to go ahead with this then it will be "full force ahead, take no prisoners wake up call" for them...

Conspriacy at work?

In the post below I have been trying to verify this from the source. Google took me to Alberta Children Services page, but nothing on the page that would indicate this, HOWEVER when I checked the cached(previously stored pages from google), this is what ACS DID have on their "what's new page", but have DELETED in the last couple days...
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International Adoption Referrals of Medically Fragile Children (March 2007)

Effective immediately, Children’s Services is not accepting adoption matching referrals of medically fragile children proposed through the international adoption program until we have a position, policy and procedures in place. More information will be posted when it is available.

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If you google "medically fragile alberta child services"
the first thing that comes up is:
What's New!
International Adoption Referrals of Medically Fragile Children (March 2007) ... They do not have the authority to represent Alberta Children's Services or ...
www.child.gov.ab.ca/whatwedo/adoption/page.cfm?pg=What's%20New!
- 59k - Cached - Similar pages

If you click on the cached part it shows the page saved on March 12th


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If you click on the main link for that page on google it take syou to the current looking page where that opening paragaph is gone!

Did they delete it due to uproar, trying to push this under the carpet or what? I know a BUNCH of folks ready to let their voice be heard, but I am trying to get this validated from the source to ensure this is true(I hope it isn't, but I suspect it is a hush hush job happening).

Time to change fustration from China gov't to Alberta's

although Cara and I are not in the Waiting Child program this is an assinine move by the Alberta gov't. I received this email from one of the adoption email groups I am on. The names are removed, but the content is true. I urge anyone who reads this(whether you are in the Waiting Child program which would be effected by this ruling,or not) to politely, yet firmly, let this gov't office know this is just wrong. If it flies in Alberta, it will spread. These children, with EASILY treatable medical conditions(some which are even just cosmetic(birthmarks, to mild heart issues, to cleft palates which are ALL treatable so these chidlren can grow up healthy in society) are destined to stay in institutions if nonsense like this gets passed.

Dear Waiting Children Families,
We need your HELP!
The families of Waiting Children in Canada have just learned that a Canadian province, Alberta, has decided to HALT acceptance of all referrals for "medically fragile" children who are being adopted
internationally. In this category, they have included the referrals
for children from China's Waiting Child Program. Apart from the fact that, as we all know, the vast majority of WCP children are not "medically fragile", this action runs the risk of influencing other provinces to follow suit.

There is no doubt that the root of this action is Alberta Children's Services concern for our children's use of provincially- funded healthcare resources; a health care system which Albertan families pay for through their taxes!!!

This is clearly discrimination against our children and we are OUTRAGED!!! Please join us in expressing the fact that this action has been ill-considered and should be reversed!!!

The morevoices speaking out against this, the better.

Please tell the Minister for Alberta Children's Services about your
child or children. Emphasize how minor their medical needs are, or,
if they have more severe needs, stress how wonderful and capable
your kids are and what joy they have brought to your lives!

The ACS needs to know that our children are NOT burdens on society, and
that they are NOT creating excessive demands on health care services.

Let them know that you are disappointed that they would consider "waiting children" less deserving of an adoptive family simply because they have known medical needs.

Please take a few moments to send a signed letter to the
Minister of Alberta Children's Services, The Honourable Janis
Tarchuk, at:

#228 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6

Minister Janis Tarchuk email:
banff.cochrane@assembly.ab.ca

& cc Alberta Children's Services at:
cs.communications@ gov.ab.ca

Pretender

What does one do when waiting for the slow train to China adoption comes to your station? You fill your brain with lots of mindless entertainment to keep it off the serious stuff!

I loved watching this show when it first came out, I have bought the four seasons on DVD and enjoyed it, however the show was cancelled and left with a cliff hanger ending, most unsatisfyng. However 2 made for tv movies were made, but countless attempts to find and get this via ebay have been fruitless(I will not pay $60 for 3 hours of questionable recording quality video).

Then, a wonderful treat from my wife, she comes to work has me close my eyes and puts a dvd case in my hands...now I haven't talked about getting any movies etc, so I was totally taken by surprise that it is an offical dvd via futureshop of these 2 movies. YAHOO!!!

Here is a summary of what the show is about:

The Pretender is the story of Jarod, a boy-genius taken from his family as a child. Jarod possesses the ability to quickly learn and impersonate different jobs and occupations. His abductors, a facility simply known as The Centre, tested his abilities through various simulations.

But after years of these performances, Jarod becomes wise to the fact that these simulations aren't being used to help people. The Centre sells the sims to the highest bidder to do with as they please, whether it is for good or evil purposes. Knowing this, he breaks free from his captors. Now, as an adult, Jarod sets out to find his family. Along the way, he befriends many people, righting any wrong by using his abilities to become anyone he wants to be.

But the Centre has a lot invested in Jarod, and they won't give him up easily. They recruit Sydney, his father-figure and trainer all through his time growing up in The Centre. Sydney is the only man who is so close to Jarod, he knows how he thinks. Also in pursuit is Miss Parker, Jarod's childhood friend whose father runs The Centre. Both are aided by Broots, a nervous computer whiz who is always going above and beyond the call of duty (whether he wants to or not).


Quirky characters, overall clean viewing(there were a couple episodes over the 4 years that touched on some relationship/sexual stuff still tame in comparision to what you can see at 8 pm on a week night these days though) and I loved the 2 sides of Jarod, the one who is kind and wanting to help people and solve problems, and then there is this dark avenger side, where the evil must be punished and he would step in and do that, never taking a life, but making sure the culprits were scared nearly to death caught in a trap or siutation similar to what they did to their victims.

So looking forward to watching those 2 tv mmovies and seeing all that is out there on this series.

Busy times

Well, time to catch up. Congrats to you Oct 2005 folks who got referrals,seems like that month is finally done. Always nice to see referral pics and drool, over the cuteness, then cry, because they aren't yours, then tears of joy for those little ones finally able to be in a forever family.

Good chance May 2006 is in review stage,although that is speculation at this point, a few rumors floating around, we will see...but it is some progress...

Folks ask me how the process is going. I have been replying, "Imagine a depressed turtle, lugging a load of rocks, against a strong headwind...he is closer to getting to China than we are these days..." laugh or cry, heh :)

Well, let's see, ahh the conference, boring as watching paint dry, however the bonus, evenings off to walk around green Vancouver. It was so refreshing to see some green stuff compared to the white stuff...Green therapy :). I also had down time to do some dreaming about Kids Ministry and where I want to see it go at my church. It was nice to be away from phones and regular work stuff and just have time alone to think, not even music to listen to.

Rob Bell, a preacher dude from the US has put out some great quality teaching videos from Nooma(name of his production company). Deep thinking stuff, but practical. He has a great one on noise and how our lives get so full of it we don't give space for God to speak to us. Used it as a teaching tool to inspire my teachers at a teacher appreciation event we did a short time ago. It was nice to apply the principles myself over that conference time.

Came home to see that I needed to step into preaching for a few weeks to give my Senior pastor a respite so he could recover from illness. He is doing better now. Got my sermon done for this week, among doing all my regular stuff to ensure our JUMP program runs,etc.

Also did an outreach to families meal and program on Wednesday for the families that come to our midweek program. I got to break out the magic props and perform. Had an AWESOME show, tried some new stuff, dusted off some oldies but goodies, had a blast, as did the audience.

I LOVE PERFORMING, and TEACHING the GOSPEL through it. Such a rush! There is that side of my personality that gets refreshed from it. It expends a bunch of energy and is hard "work" but so rewarding when it clicks. Got some programs lined up in April and June to minister at other churches, plus have to develop my messages, and tricks for the upcoming Camp season.

Busy times, but God is good.