Human Resources committee  Yes, I would agree with what Cathy said.

Human Resources committee  I'm not sure if I'd know about the other laws that might be impacted or might need to be changed as much. If it would benefit families, children or parents, then I think that should definitely be considered—to make changes that would push us forward in the direction of being able to support and help parents with parenting and meeting children's needs.

Human Resources committee  I don't have any other amendments or edits that I can think of at the moment. I would agree with everything Cathy said about being as inclusive as possible of all types of guardians and carers.

Human Resources committee  I'm thinking of all the things she went through—those extra hurdles she had to jump and the lack of resources or benefits. She's very supportive of the fact they exist now, or could, in the future. I talked to her earlier today, because she knows I'm doing this. She said it's so important, especially in our circumstances, or with international or transracial adoptions.

Human Resources committee  I'll add that I agree. It is very important, whether you adopt a child or have biological children, to have the same amount of time for benefits. I think that sends a message. We'll know the government views it the same way, in terms of the family unit and how families are formed, whether it's adoptive parents, biological parents or even adoptees with biological children.

Human Resources committee  I think that in adopting from a different country there's a lot more work that does need to be done to overcome those barriers. There may be a difference sometimes in language and culture, and just in everything, even ethnicity and race and the kinds of experiences that the child might go through, which the parents might not be able to relate to, to understand and to prepare them for.

Human Resources committee  As Cathy mentioned, I think it's important to make sure to have equal access for both biological and adoptive parents to form the bond and to really have the chance for the adoptee—whether a baby, a child or older, like an adolescent—to get used to the new environment, whether that's the family or the country.

Human Resources committee  Yes. My mom is a single parent. She adopted me on her own, and she raised me and my younger sister—who's also adopted from China—on her own. There was definitely a lot of hard work that went into that—being a single parent and not having some of the benefits that exist today, the extra 15 weeks especially.

Human Resources committee  I think it's very important to build the attachment, to allow the bonds, as you mentioned, and to have trust form. I think that's done through repetition and time. You can't fast-track that necessarily. It takes time to build and to grow and to foster. Then it's also having that routine as well, just the consistency of showing up.

Human Resources committee  Yes. I think that every child is different. They have different stories from before they were adopted. That might impact the adjustment period and the time they might need to attach. As I mentioned, even if the baby or the child seems very well adjusted—there are not any obvious issues or needs—it doesn't mean that there are not potentially underlying....

Human Resources committee  Hello. My name is Shelley Rottenberg. It's a pleasure to be attending this meeting as a witness today. I'm the secretary for the Child and Youth Permanency Council of Canada, the co-president of China's Children International, and the associate director for engagement and social media for Asian Adoptees of Canada.