March 18, 1997
(Social Services)

The following statement was issued today by Joan Marie Aylward, Minister of Social Services. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

It gives me great pleasure today to announce another progressive initiative of this government to better provide quality service delivery to clients. The Department of Social Services has committed $175,000 to enhancing the staffing component in the Post Adoption Services area. This to eliminate the long waiting lists and ensure the delivery of a more timely service to applicants.

The post adoption program provides services to adult adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents and the children they have adopted.

This program is delivered on a province wide basis from St. John's by three individuals, this funding will more than double the staffing.

At the present time requests for summaries of non-identifying information from adult adoptees and birth parents date back to March 1994. Requests for searches go back to 1988.

This backlog in post adoptions dates back to 1990 when the legislation was changed to allow for searches at the request of adult adoptees. Prior to that time there was a passive system which meant that persons could apply for non-identifying background information. Only if a birth parent and an adult adoptee both registered, was contact facilitated between them. When the legislation changed to an active search system there were already nearly 1,000 persons registered. Of these the majority wanted to go on the list for search. Thus, there has been a substantial backlog ever since the program began. Staffing was increased from one position to the present three persons but this is the first opportunity government has had to really address the backlog.

A workload analysis has been completed and it has been determined that five additional staff will be able to complete all the outstanding requests for information, facilitate the contact between parties when both have registered for service and complete the outstanding searches within a year.

It has also been determined, through an analysis of ongoing requests for service, that current staffing will be adequate to address on-going requests as they arise.

Post adoption services are provided free of charge to adult adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents. I am pleased to announce that government will continue this practice.

The new funding being designated for this program will ensure:

• - The backlog of requests will be erased within one year;

  - The service will improve in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and equity;

  - If monthly referrals remain relatively stable then the program would be able to be maintained by current staff.