[Nacac-canadian-issues] DTF Letter, draft 1

[Robin Hilborn]

> From: "Marilyn Shinyei"
> Re:   Research on adoption
> Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002
> Is somebody in this group going to present these very serious and
>legitimate concerns to DTF?

Robin Hilborn replies:

I offer for consideration the following email letter to the Dave Thomas
Foundation.
I've just put all the comments in one spot so it can be discussed and
edited. DTF could find the discussion on the list archives, but we render a
service by collecting the comments here.

It would take a few drafts before we got agreement among us, I suppose. The
letter could be supported by signatures from each list member agreeing to
the statement.

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                                Draft 1, June 13, 2002
[person, title]
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
[address]

Dear Sir,

BACKGROUND

The "Nacac-canadian-issues" email list was founded on May 17, 2002 for
discussing issues of child welfare in Canada. It is hosted by NACAC on
behalf of the Canadian Issues Task Force, which is seeking opinion on the
major issues for adoption in Canada and is chaired by Cheryl Fix. The email
list's membership, numbering 0000, is drawn from among contacts supplied by
NACAC and the Adoption Council of Canada, and other advocates on adoption
issues. Information about the list is at
http://www.communityforum.net/mailman/listinfo/nacac-canadian-
issues.

DISCUSSION

Recent discussion on the list has elicited such comments as:

-- NACAC is doing a study of subsidies in Canada, something I would have
thought the Adoption Council of Canada should do, although there's nothing
stopping NACAC doing it, of course. Similarly, Adam Pertman has been asked
by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to examine adoption in Canada,
particularly as it relates to children awaiting homes in foster care. I see
an issue here, regarding research on adoption in Canada: Should various
studies be undertaken without coordination? Will the results be published?
Will Canadian researchers duplicate the studies of American researchers?
Will respondents in Canada tire of different researchers asking the same
questions?

-- I take great exception to the Dave Thomas Foundation hiring an American
to do research in Canada. Do they think we do not have competent
researchers here? I have always felt that we have had to prove to the
Foundation that we are not colonialists.

-- Because there seems to be so little Canadian-based research I think that
whatever can be completed should be. Isn't it too bad all these
non-Canadian-based researchers are getting the funding and there doesn't
seem to be any funds for Canadians (such as ACC) to complete the research.

-- I can clearly remember when we first started working with the Dave
Thomas Foundation and they told us, "Well, our researchers have determined
that there has never been an adoption month held in Canada." We said,
"Excuse us, who did your researchers talk to?" So I also object very
strongly to an American doing the research.

-- The issue of Canadian research being done by a person from outside of
Canada is serious because many issues in Canada are very different from
those in the USA -- laws, population demographics, cultural-historical
relationships, treaties, etc. For example, American research on adoptions
tends to focus, in part, on the issue of race, which can be very misleading
and does not capture Canadian cultural issues. In addition, American
researchers tend to divide up culture into four primary (racial) groups,
which does not remotely capture Canadian population characteristics. This
is quite a serious problem and may heavily bias the research results from
the outset.

-- As for the DTF's decision to use an American, I think Adam P. has done
some interesting work. The question is whether he has any knowledge of the
labyrinth of provincial adoption policies in Canada.

JOINT STATEMENT

After discussion the undersigned list members have agreed on this statement:

"We are pleased that the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has started
work on a study examining adoption in Canada. We would recommend:

-- that DTF discuss its work with the Adoption Council of Canada so as to
avoid duplication of effort.

-- that DTF encourage Canadian researchers to undertake research in Canada.
The goal is to profit from Canadian expertise in the adoption field while
avoiding a possible American bias in viewing the Canadian situation."

Signed by:

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