Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that the federal government, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments and the Adoption Council of Canada, develop and launch a national public awareness campaign to raise the profile of adoption and inform Canadians about the thousands of children waiting for a permanent home, While recognizing that resources committed should reflect the fact that Canada is in a period of fiscal restraint.

Recommendation 2

The Committee recommends that the federal government EXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF DIRECTING Statistics Canada, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments and Aboriginal child welfare agencies, to collect, analyse and make public annual data concerning children and youth in the care of child welfare agencies and specifically the number of children and youth that are legally free for adoption, while respecting privacy laws where these may apply.

Recommendation 3

The Committee recommends that the federal government EXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF WORKING WITH THE PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES TO create a national database to enhance knowledge about children and youth in the care of child welfare agencies and the need for adoptive families across the country, and that the database be available online on a user-friendly website that would allow interested Canadians to search for information on adoption in Canada.

Recommendation 4

The Committee recommends that the Intercountry Adoption Services provide better information on its website about the intercountry adoption process and the different countries where adoption is open to Canadians.

Recommendation 5

The Committee recommends that the federal government EXAMINE the PERCEIVED inequities between child welfare and family services available on reserve and services provided off reserve.

Recommendation 6

The Committee recommends that Aboriginal Affairs AND Northern Development Canada collect information and develop performance indicators regarding the number of First Nations children in care and the outcomes of services provided to them by First Nations Child and Family Services Agencies.

Recommendation 7

The Committee recommends that AND Aboriginal Affairs AND Northern Development Canada proceed with the expansion of the enhanced prevention-focused approach In the remaining jurisdictions that have yet to move to that approach, taking into account the current period of fiscal restraint.

Recommendation 8

The Committee recommends that the Joint Management Committee of each Community Action Program for Children’s site allocate funding to specialized programs for adoptive parents and their adopted children if there is a demonstrated need for such services in their region.

Recommendation 9

The Committee recommends that the Public Health Agency of Canada develop a portal site to disseminate information about best practices in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) treatment and intervention and that this portal also be used to share knowledge specifically about adopted children and youth with FASD and the supports available to assist them and their families in managing this disorder.

Recommendation 10

The Committee recommends that the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada or the Canadian Institutes of Health Research fund peer-reviewed research on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and work collaboratively with the Public Health Agency of Canada to disseminate the new knowledge that would be generated by this initiative.

Recommendation 11

The Committee recommends that the Department of Finance Canada review the maximum amount claimable under the adoption expenses tax credit to ensure that it still meets the needs of adoptive parents.

Recommendation 12

The Committee recommends that the Department of Finance Canada review the eligibility criteria attached to the adoption expenses tax credit to allow, IF NECESSARY, for eligible adoption expenses to be claimed in the year they are incurred.