CANADIANS HONOURED AT 2004 NACAC CONFERENCE(Apr. 27, 2004) At its 2004 conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 28-31, the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) will honour people and groups in the U.S. and Canada for their outstanding contributions to the field of adoption. Here are the Canadian recipients of NACAC awards: MARY MILLER Mary Miller of Halifax, Nova Scotia has been chosen to receive an Adoption Activist Award. Mary has been working with families and children since 1972, when she earned her master's degree in social work. Later in the 1970s she and her husband adopted two children. In the intervening decades, Mary has dedicated her life to helping families adopt, and helping adoptive families to stay strong. On the forefront of adoption in Nova Scotia, Mary helped start the first adoptive parent preparation classes in 1978, and in 1980 co-founded the Adoptive Parents Association of Nova Scotia. Soon after, she organized the first day-long conference for adoptive parents, and 11 years ago she opened Children of Choice Consulting, a private agency which helps prospective adopters. Mary has been NACAC's provincial representative for over a decade. She was also an Adoption Council of Canada board member, and has served on many provincial adoption committees over the years. THRIFTY FOODS Thrifty Foods Inc. of British Columbia will receive a Corporate Award. Thrifty Foods is a family-owned grocery retailer with 18 stores in B.C. serving and working with the community for 26 years. The retailer makes a point of giving back to the community and is especially concerned with helping children and families. During Adoption Awareness Month last November, Thrifty Foods supplied funding for an adoption agency open house complete with an expert presenter. It also posted adoption information on its web site, and featured adoption information on the front page of the store flyers for a week. Thrifty's flyers reach about one million readers. Through other promotions and contributions, Thrifty also supports Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Queen Alexander Foundation for Children -- which helps over 20,000 children and youth on Vancouver Island. MORE RECIPIENTS Here are all the award recipients. Details are in the Winter 2004 Adoptalk, NACAC's newsletter. CHILD ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
FRIEND OF CHILDREN
ADOPTION ACTIVISTS
PARENT GROUP OF THE YEAR
YOUTH ADVOCATES OF THE YEAR
CORPORATE AWARDS
Three workshops at the Minneapolis conference are by Canadians. The program is at www.nacac.org/conf_sessions.html.<!- Link -> 5G - When White Parents Adopt or Foster Brown Children: Addressing Power and Privilege
6M - A Search for Self: Reflecting on an Adoptee's Quest for Identity
7F - Birth Country Language and Culture: The Advantage of Early Exposure
ABOUT NACAC CONFERENCES The annual NACAC adoption conference moves from the U.S. to Canada once every five to six years. It was held in Ottawa in 1992, in Toronto in 1997, and in Vancouver in 2003. The next conference will take place July 28-Aug. 1, 2004 in Minneapolis MN. The annual meeting brings together adoption professionals, parents and potential parents from across the U.S. and Canada. The theme for the 2004 30th anniversary conference is "30 Years of Celebrating Families". For more information: North American Council on Adoptable Children, 970 Raymond Ave., #106, St. Paul MN 55114, 651-644-3036, fax 651-644-9848, info@nacac.org, www.nacac.org. There are four Canadians on the NACAC Board of Directors:
Source: Adoption Council of Canada, www.adoption.ca Copyright 2004 Adoption Council of Canada. Reproduction permitted, if credited "Source: Adoption Council of Canada, www.adoption.ca". Please make a request to reprint, so we can track where ACC news items are used. Send your request to acc@adoption.ca. |
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