[Nacac-canadian-issues] Re: "Canadian Research" Letter, to ACC

[Sandra Scarth]

Hi all:  I arrived back from 10 days in Toronto last night to find a flurry
of emails about the DT Foundation "research". I have not yet spoken to Adam
Pertman, but plan to be available to him some time this week or next.  I
agree with Judy, but I was more concerned with the impact of a letter, or
letters which could be seen as very critical of the organization that has
been most helpful to the ACC and waiting children in Canada. Kind of biting
the hand that feeds us.

We have received very little Canadian funding. I think our efforts would be
better spent to try to get Canadian governments and Foundations to support
Canadian adoption research, rather than to criticize the Americans for
helping us when we ask! I hope that the results of the ACC's strategic
planning, material from Adam's fact-finding and ACC's subsequent application
for funding to the DTF for expansion will be successful in helping us to
broaden both our services and our funding base. It will also be interesting
to see if the articles Margaret Philp is writing will be helpful to our
cause.

I would be very reluctant to sign any letter that would jeopardize this
process. I hope that sober second thoughts will prevail. Any comments?

Sandra
----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy Grove" <acc@storm.ca>
To: "Robin Hilborn" <helper@familyhelper.net>; <acc@adoption.ca>
Cc: "Pat Fenton" <aco@adoption.ca>; "Michelle Stromberg"
<mstromberg@adoption.ca>; "Pat Fenton" <pfenton@adoption.ca>; "Elspeth Ross"
<rosse@freenet.carleton.ca>; "Leceta Chisholm Guibault"
<leceta@citenet.net>; "Lex Reynolds" <lreynolds@adoption.ca>; "Sandra
Scarth" <sscarth@adoption.ca>; "Melanie Audet" <maudet@adoption.ca>; "Tauba
Held" <theld@adoption.ca>; <cfix@shaw.ca>;
<nacac-canadian-issues@communityforum.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2002 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: "Canadian Research" Letter, to ACC


> Robin,
>
> I think everyone has gone off on a tangent on this subject.  The
"research"
> is not research in the ordinary sense.  The Foundation is looking for wher
e
> they can have the most impact on waiting Canadian children with the money
> they donate.  Adam Pertman has been hired to get an overview of what is
> going on in Canada and how it compares to what is happening in the US.
This
> is not statistical research in the conventional sense.  They want this
> research done in a very short time frame.
>
> They surely have the right to hire whomever they want to do this work.
>
> Judy Grove
> Executive Director
> Adoption Council of Canada
> 1-888-54-ADOPT
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robin Hilborn" <helper@familyhelper.net>
> To: <acc@adoption.ca>
> Cc: <nacac-canadian-issues@communityforum.net>; <cfix@shaw.ca>
> Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 10:10 PM
> Subject: "Canadian Research" Letter, to ACC
>
>
> > At 8:34 PM 6/17/2, cheryl fix wrote:
> > >Why don't you ask ACC to sign the letter to DTF?
> >
> >
> > Dear ACC,
> >
> > Cheryl Fix (chair of the Canadian Issues Task Force) has suggested I ask
> > you to sign the letter below.
> >
> > Would you like to?
> >
> >
> >  --Robin Hilborn, Editor, Adoption Helper
> >    Box 1353, Southampton, Ont. N0H 2L0
> >    Web site  Family Helper www.familyhelper.net
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------
> > "Support Canadian Research" Letter       June 18, 2002
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > To:
> > Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
> > and others
> >
> > Dear Sir,
> >
> > The Canadian Issues Task Force, formed of members of the Canadian
adoption
> > community, is seeking opinion on the major issues in adoption in Canada
> and
> > is chaired by Cheryl Fix. One issue now being discussed concerns
research
> > carried out in Canada.
> >
> > Here at the Adoption Council of Canada (the national voice of the
adoption
> > community) we would like to make our view known on one issue the task
> force
> > is dealing with.
> >
> > American foundations should consider using Canadian researchers on
> projects
> > involving adoption in Canada. Canadians have research expertise plus
> > intimate knowledge of the complexities of the Canadian adoption system.
> > Foundations using American researchers run the risk of getting studies
> with
> > an American bias; that is, based on assumptions which imperfectly
reflect
> > the differences of Canadian culture.
> >
> > We would recommend that foundations notify interested parties of
proposed
> > research, to avoid possible duplication of effort.
> >
> > In addition, they should announce how research results will be
published,
> > so that the entire community may benefit.
> >
> > Yours sincerely,
> > Adoption Council of Canada
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>