PARENT FINDERS of CANADA

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES

 

PARENT FINDERS™ is the registered trade mark of PARENT FINDERS of CANADA
19 English Bluff Road,  Delta, B.C. V4M 2M4  Canada

Operated as a charitable non-profit organization for the benefit of adult adoptees and birth relatives, it is administered with courtesy, discretion and compassion.  Whereas the rights of adoptees and birth parents in our society are considered to be impaired by outdated legislation, PARENT FINDERS was established in August 1974 to strive to bring all parties of the adoption triangle into reconciliation and an understanding of individual needs.

From the beginning, the basic aims of PARENT FINDERS have been:

  • to promote a feeling of openness and understanding about the whole concept of adoption,

  •  to influence legislation which will enable adult adoptees and birth parents to obtain a copy of original birth documents,

  •  to maintain a national reunion register wherein birth information can be entered by adult adoptees and birth relatives in the hope of a reunion through matching of birth information,

  •  to lobby Provincial and Territorial Social Services Departments to establish active Reunion Registers.

In support of these aims, we strive to provide the following services to our members:

  • assistance to adult adoptees and birth relatives in obtaining written background information sheets from the appropriate agency,

  • assistance to adult adoptees and birth relatives in search,

  • counseling and intermediary services to facilitate reunions and where desired, post reunion support,

  • registration in the Canadian Adoption Reunion Register.

In the conduct of the above services, it is necessary that the following standards be observed:

No individual profit or monetary gain shall be realized from the operation of a PARENT FINDERS group or participation as a member therein. Registration fees should be maintained at a level sufficient only to offset the operating expenses of each group, as established by the local group leader or executive, and with general membership approval.

Registration shall be open to all adult adoptees, adopting parents, birth relatives and persons of fostered adult or ward status.

All registrations shall be copied to the Canadian Adoption Reunion Register unless the registrant individually declines this privilege.

Except for the purposes of the Canadian Adoption Reunion Register or a Provincial Register, all records in local groups must be maintained in a discreet and confidential manner to preserve the privacy of members.

In addition to the above guidelines, the following recommendations are suggested:

Meetings should be held on a monthly basis, if possible, and should be open to any member of the general public interested in adoption. An annual general meeting should be held, with election of officers, their term of office to be determined by the membership as a whole or by Constitution. Roberts Rules of Order are recommended.

Each PARENT FINDERS group is to maintain a separate bank account for the deposit of receipts and disbursement of accounts. Records of financial affairs should be maintained in current order and should be open to scrutiny by any member on request.

Where an underage adoptee or foster person is in need of assistance, a letter of consent must be obtained from the adopting parents or guardians to be kept on file.

It is requested that all registrations be forwarded, on a monthly basis, to the National Office for inclusion in the Canadian Adoption Reunion Register (CARR).

For the purpose of keeping valuable reunion statistics, all group leaders are asked to report the outcome of a reunion in a short paragraph form, where possible quoting the participants directly.

In the event that a group ceases to operate, the membership records, computer data base birth information, office equipment, and search aids belonging to the organization should be handed over to the nearest functioning affiliated group in the area. If there is no such group, then the records etc. should be sent to the National Office for safekeeping until an area group can be re-established.

While it is the intention of PARENT FINDERS to assist as much as possible in the search and reunion process, it should be understood that the fee levied upon joining PARENT FINDERS is for the purposes of registration only.  This understanding will alleviate the inclination of some members to expect that their fee entitles them to have the search carried out for them. Members must understand that the search is their own responsibility and that PARENT FINDERS act only as their search advisors, giving support to their efforts.

Established: March 1983,                                          
Last amended: August 21, 2001