Douglas Chalke

With all the new rules which Canada and the US Homeland Security have been creating about crossing the border it is getting confusing for adopting parents (including as of June 1, 2009, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative). In an attempt to clarify these rules we have written the following. Please keep in mind that each experience may differ since border guards can apply the rules differently. There are 3 main groups of adopted children whom these rules affect:

The world of adoption is changing quickly. There continue to be abandoned children in numerous countries, and, infertility seems to be increasing. Will parents and children continue to find each other as they have in the past? For many reasons, the face of adoption in Canada is changing and doors are closing for adoptive parents. What role can Sunrise play in shaping the future of adoption in Canada? What are the factors that are closing doors for adopting parents? Increased Support for Birth M

Barb and Maxine work for a large corporation whose profit for the last quarter was $400 million. Both women are new moms, currently at home caring for their children. Barb will be at home for 52 weeks and will receive 85% of her regular salary. Maxine, on the other hand, is able to stay home for only 35 weeks during which she receives 55% of her usual salary. What's the difference? Barb is a biological mother; Maxine is an adoptive mother.

With advances in computer technology and DNA science, it seemed likely that a way would be found for the far-flung children of China to find their birth families. That day seemed far off in the future. However that day is here now, and it has arrived 20 years before I expected it. A new kind of internet website provides the means for adopting parents of children adopted from China to discover if their child has a sibling, half-sibling, cousin or other relative adopted anywhere in the world.

The Canadian government has passed a new citizenship law that resolves a variety of issues about Canadian citizenship (Bill C-37). Buried in that law is a provision that has passed unnoticed, until now, which puts limitations on the Canadian citizenship rights of some internationally adopted children. Recent articles in the National Post, the Globe & Mail and the Ottawa Citizen have brought these provisions to the attention of the adoption community.