Human Resources committee  It's open to the public. The screening process is for when people want to go further and get further information around pursuing adoption.

Human Resources committee  I think what you're suggesting is the dilemma we're in, which is how you promote and engage people in adoption for older children and sibling groups in a respectful way. It can be challenging for people to feel comfortable with that modality. You're not wrong to ask the question; it's what agencies throughout North America have found in making these decisions.

Human Resources committee  Yes.

Human Resources committee  I can speak to open adoption. We feel very strongly that if the child is older and has a strong sense of their past, the more open an adoption is, the more chance an effective bonding will occur. We've seen that happen on a regular basis with adoption. People want to know their past, and they want to have relationships with significant individuals in their lives, even if they cannot live with them.

Human Resources committee  Yes, very much so. We are open at the Ottawa Children's Aid Society and recognize that it's about who is the best parent and what the parent can offer, regardless of their sexual orientation or whether they're a single parent. So we have been very successful. You'll see that the studies really reflect that in terms of the openness of different groups being able to parent well.

Human Resources committee  As we mentioned earlier, we don't have the specific numbers because the numbers are difficult to say... But I think that if we look at the figure of 30,000 who are waiting, I would say that probably at least 60% to 70% of them would be older children over the age of 9 or 10--as an estimate.

Human Resources committee  Yes, just to add, in response to your question... These are critical issues, because for us, for these children or sibling groups, what we see is that it's a spectrum of permanency we're looking for. One thing that could happen through this committee is to really look at creating a level playing field across the country as it relates to adoptions or legal custody arrangements with kin family.

Human Resources committee  I'll answer the question about what happens once somebody identifies an interest. We have an extensive screening process and an education process that families go through to ensure that they are ready to adopt. It ensures that they have a full understanding of the complexities and challenges of adopting older children and that they recognize the importance of respecting the child's history and where they have come from.

Human Resources committee  Excuse me?

Human Resources committee  We have a very low failure rate of adoption matches. We have approximately 80 to 100 adoptions a year. In a year, we may have one to two adoption disruptions that occur here in Ottawa, and they're not necessarily disruptions in the adoptions done that year. It's a very small number.

Human Resources committee  The challenge with doing a recruitment strategy like this is that you have to find the balance between making sure the message gets out there, which is that there are children who are looking for families, and creating those personal connections that will draw people in, and maintaining the integrity and privacy of the individual without putting anyone at risk.

Human Resources committee  If I may, I will just add that the majority of children who are available for adoption through children's aid societies are older. The average age for when a child comes into care as a crown ward is usually between nine and eleven years; they've been in and out of care for periods of time before they have legal status as a crown ward of the province.

Human Resources committee  Yes, very--we don't have to use these types of strategies for the younger population.

Human Resources committee  I want to follow up on why the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa decided to participate in this exciting initiative. It really is about the fact that we persistently struggle in finding adoptive families for older children and sibling groups. When children come into care they often experience positive growth while they're in foster homes, but regardless of how positive their experience is, they are always wanting a “forever family”.