MLA REID HIGHLIGHTS ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH

I am pleased to rise in the House today to recognize November as Adoption Awareness Month in British Columbia. Adoption Awareness Month provides us the opportunity to thank adoptive families for opening their hearts and committing their lives to the love and care of a child. It gives us time to recognize the invaluable impact that adopted families have on the lives of children.

Every child deserves to have a family to call their own and a permanent place to call home. Every child deserves the support that a family brings, whether it's someone to help with homework; someone to tuck them in at night; someone to cheer them on at a sporting event or attend their school play; someone to listen to their stories, be proud of them, or a shoulder to cry on when life seems hard.

Every child deserves a glorious childhood.

What I wish for my children is what I wish for every child in the province of British Columbia. Every child and teenager deserves the nurturing affection of a family environment, and more than 1,200 children in government care are still looking for a place to call home, with more than 500 children ready to be adopted today.

I encourage anyone who's interested in the joy that a child can bring to call 1-877-ADOPT-07 or visit the Ministry of Children and Family Development website.

I ask the people of British Columbia to join me in recognizing and celebrating Adoption Awareness Month, the families that adoption creates and how adoption embodies the meaning of putting families first.