Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, November is National Adoption Awareness Month. This is an opportunity to recognize all those adoptive families in the NWT who have opened their hearts to children in need of families.

Adoption provides a child with permanence and security. All children need roots and a feeling that they belong to a family. This feeling of belonging affects their sense of self-worth. It helps to determine how they see themselves in relation to others and to their community.

There were 43 custom adoptions last year. Custom adoptions ensure aboriginal children in care are raised with aboriginal families whenever possible, keeping them connected to their extended family and community. Additionally, the department arranged and completed 13 other adoptions last year.

The face of adoption has changed over the years. There are children of all ages being adopted in the NWT, including some with special needs. Many hopeful adoptive parents believe that children will enrich their lives and that they have a lot to offer a child in need.

Prospective parents can be married, common-law, or single. Individuals, like a step-parent, can also adopt their spouse's children. Some prospective parents are childless, while others are looking to expand their families, or have children who have grown up and left home. Regardless, the support and security of a permanent home is paramount to any child's development, and each child in the NWT is entitled to healthy development and a loving family.

As we celebrate adoptive families, let us remember that there are children in the NWT who are eager to have a loving and permanent family. Residents interested in adoption can contact their local Health and Social Services office for more information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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