Please Complete

We have two wonderful ladies, both of whom I can call friends, working on our behalves to get changes made!! Please spread the word to any Canadians who have adopted internationally.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Hello,

We are Tova Krause Grindlay and Keltie Gaunt. A couple of adoption mamas who have adopted children from three countries in Africa. After our experiences dealing with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Canadian High Commissions abroad, we have decided to try and effect some positive change to the way adoption files are handled within CIC. We believe that adopting orphans internationally should be a priority for CIC, and that Canadian citizens and their children, should be treated as a priority, with care and respect from their Canadian High Commissions while abroad.

We are looking for your help. Would you consider filling in this questionnaire regarding your experience dealing with a Canadian High Commission while you were adopting? We will present your answers, unedited by us, to a Member of Parliament. (Joyce Murray – Vancouver Quadra) She has agreed to listen to our concerns and suggestions, of effecting lasting change, in how adoption cases and parents are treated. We would like to hear your experiences, either good or bad.

We promise to treat your information with confidentiality and respect. The only persons we ask to share these with are Government of Canada employees. If you wish to remain anonymous, or email a response directly to Joyce Murray, please let us know.

If you would consider doing this, we need your responses soon. The meeting is taking place on March 19th. In order to have all our information ready for the meeting, we ask that we receive your responses by March 16th. If you have any questions or suggestions, or would simply like to receive an update after the 19th of March, please email natgardesigns@yahoo.ca. If you know adoptive parents that we have not contacted, please feel free to pass this on. More responses will provide a more accurate picture of where change would be most effective. We understand that people are busy with their lives and we appreciate any time you take for this. Any information is helpful, even if you are only able to answer a few questions.

With gratitude,

Tova Krause Grindlay
Natgardesigns@yahoo.ca

Keltie Gaunt
Currently in Uganda

Questionnaire:

The contents of this questionnaire will not be amended in anyway. They are for employees of the Government of Canada only. Please fill out one questionnaire per adoption. Please fill out as many questions as you are able, with as much information as you are willing to share. Any feedback is helpful.
If you prefer to remain anonymous, just leave the appropriate areas blank. Please send your responses back to natgardesigns@yahoo.ca or enquire with us as to which case worker to send them to at Joyce Murray’s office – Vancouver Quadra
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Your name:

Contact Information:

Country that your child is adopted from:

Country in which the Canadian High Commission is situated that reviewed your case:

Did you attempt to communicate any questions or concerns to the High Commission via fax or email, and if so, how were they responded too:

How long did the HC have your child’s file before opening a file and issuing the medical papers:

How long did it take for the HC to issue a visa from the time of receiving your child’s documents in full:

Did you visit the Canadian High Commission in person, and if yes, how were you received by the staff:

What were the concerns the HC had regarding your case, if any:

How did the concerns get resolved:

Did you get your local MP to make any enquiries on your behalf or intervene in the process in anyway? If so, did this help:

Were there any other outside influences (lawyer, etc) that affected your case or experience from the High Commission:

What was your experience like dealing with CIC in Canada, either before or after adopting your child:

In terms of the process (sponsorship, citizenship, etc.) do you have any concerns or questions:

If you would like to see anything changed in your experience with the High Commission you dealt with, or CIC, what would it be:

If you have any other information of your experiences you would like to share, please do so on a subsequent page. Thank you again!