Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to our witnesses for appearing, for your compelling testimony, and your courage as well. I've only ever talked about the fact that I'm adopted. I've never really talked about the circumstances of my adoption publicly before, so I appreciate that you have come and laid an awful lot out on the table.
My own experience is I was adopted as an infant, so I didn't have to navigate, if you will, the child welfare system. So I don't have the experiences that some of you do. Notwithstanding that, adoption is still difficult. I could say that turning 40 next month, I'm still in counselling for issues that stem back to my adoption and other things like that—although I can say I'm making progress too, so there's hope. I appreciate that you've been able to share that.
I probably have about two hours' worth of questions. I will try to do what I can in a short period of time here.
Not having an experience with the child welfare system, maybe you can answer just a few basic things for me. Is there much contact or connection with others, your peers, in the child welfare system? With a foster placement, are you sort of isolated from the experiences of others?
Just briefly, if you can.