Welcome to the Home of the
International Adoption Families Association (IAFA)
Alberta ,
Canada
IAFA
Mission Statement
The IAFA exists to support, educate and inform families about international adoption, to act as a resource to the general public regarding international adoption, and to lobby, educate and exchange information with relevant bodies such as licensed adoption agencies, community organizations, and the provincial and federal governments.
About the IAFA
Membership **Don't forget to renew your membership by May 31**
Links to Adoption-Related Organizations and Websites
Heritage Language Schools in Alberta
International Adoption Guidebook
What to Do While You're Waiting
About the IAFA
The International Adoption Families Association (IAFA) is a non-profit society registered in the
The process to adopt internationally can be confusing and cause applicants to feel anxious and frustrated. IAFA can provide friendly advice and support as you choose a particular country, find an adoption agency for your home study and choose an adoption coordinator. You may wish to meet with parents who have adopted children from the same country and discuss issues like timelines, medical information, the waiting process, what to pack for your trip or how to prepare yourself for the first meeting with your child. IAFA members have traveled the same road, and know some of the profound pleasures and possible difficulties you might encounter.
While many adoptive parents are enthusiastic about international adoption, it is often an emotional roller-coaster ride. Should you decide to proceed with an international adoption, the support of a group such as the IAFA can be beneficial during and after the process. It is the hope of IAFA that by providing support, more
Throughout the year, IAFA hosts a number of events, both social and educational. Our guest speakers are chosen to provide parents with a wide variety of information on the adoption process or issues facing adoptive children. Where appropriate, IAFA provides coordination for lobby efforts on issues of importance to the adoption community.
Membership
Membership fee for new or former members is $30 CDN per year. To join IAFA, fill out the on-line registration form and forward it with a cheque to our mailing address: IAFA,
Note: Membership renewals are due May 31. Don't forget to renew!!
(reminders will be posted in the newsletter - a $5 discount is also available to those who pay before May 31!)
Please note that the membership year runs from May 1 to April 30 of the following year. For the initial year of membership, the new member will have a minimum of 12 months of membership (e.g., if you join in September 2004, your membership expires
For questions about membership, contact membership@iafa.ca.
Email:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Events
Support group meetings are held in both
IAFA also schedules regular social events in
Click here for a list of upcoming and past events.
For more information on an upcoming event, contact events.edm@iafa.ca (for events in Edmonton) or events.cal@iafa.ca (for events in Calgary).
NOTE: IAFA is a non-profit, volunteer organization supporting families with internationally adopted children. Throughout the year, IAFA hosts a number of events, both social and educational. Our guest speakers are chosen to provide parents with a wide variety of information on the adoption process or issues facing adoptive children. IAFA is non-partisan and is not affiliated with the federal or provincial government.
Buddy Matching
New members can be matched with an IAFA "buddy” who has adopted from the same country. Buddies offer their time voluntarily and are happy to share their international adoption experience. A buddy can provide a wealth of information and support.
For more information, contact buddy.edm@iafa.ca or buddy.cal@iafa.ca.
IAFA’s new arrivals coordinator encourages members to write up a brief note about their "new arrival." All the notices are compiled and then published in the following newsletter. It is always very exciting to hear about the children that have just come home! To share information about new arrivals, please forward any information you would like other members to read about your recent adoption experience to newarrivals@iafa.ca.
Membership Roster
A confidential membership roster is distributed annually to all members. (It is emailed to members as an attachment to an IAFA newsletter.)
IAFA has a library of relevant books and resources in both
A photo album of IAFA events is held in both cities and chronicles our history and many of our member families.
Newsletter
Our newsletter is published quarterly and emailed* to members only. It provides information regarding IAFA activities, as well as issues and concerns relating to International Adoption.
For more information, contact newsletter@iafa.ca.
*IAFA relies heavily on email; it saves the organization thousands of dollars in postage and the savings can be used for more meaningful endeavors like no-fee activities and events.
Links to Adoption-related Organizations and Websites
Heritage Language Schools in Alberta
Information links and a compilation of IAFA members' experiences with schools
A list of Adoption Coordinators in Alberta, organized by country
Country news summaries are compiled by Robin Hilborn, editor of Family Helper magazine and webmaster of Family Helper web site. They are based on web searches, correspondents' reports and adoption newsletters. Source: Family Helper, www.familyhelper.net.
Click here to access information on post placement reports for China adoptions, including the cover sheet for CCAA post placement reports, supervisory report format, and general rules for CCAA reports.
International Adoption Guidebook (November 30, 2004)
An updated Guidebook for International Adoption has been posted to the Alberta Children’s Services website at the "Adopting a Child From Another Country" page. This guide is valuable as a resource in going through the process of international adoption, or for information that may be useful to families who are considering their options.
What to Do While You're Waiting
One of the most common questions asked by prospective parents is "What should we do while we wait?" Click here to view a list compiled by an IAFA member.
Links to research projects involving internationally adopted children being conducted in Alberta. Find out what is being studied and how to participate.