History & Impact

Our History

In 1987, a group of adoptive parents in Saskatchewan began meeting to support one another as adoptive parents, and eventually formed the Saskatchewan Adoptive Parents Association (SAPA). In 1993 SAPA became a non-profit, registered charity and Community Based Organization (CBO) under the direction of the Ministry of Social Services. In 2002, the Saskatchewan Adoptive Parents Association changed their name and mandate in order to more accurately reflect the population that the organization was serving to become the Adoption Support Centre of Saskatchewan Inc. (ASCS).

In 2022, we changed our name to “The Evermore Centre” to better reflect our organization’s focus on fostering permanent homes that create well being & long term stability for children. Permanency is an expansive term, with many important factors. Our previous name, Adoption Support Centre of Saskatchewan, no longer represents the breadth of work we do to support all forms of permanency, including adoption, but also legal guardianship and kinship care. The word “evermore” is a synonym for “forever, always”.
This change is an important step in the direction of reconciliation and deeper partnership with Indigenous communities. We recognize that Canada’s colonial legacy has negatively impacted many families and communities, and with this name change, we aim to reflect cultural humility and a commitment towards healing. The term “adoption” for some symbolizes a fracturing of the family unit, and we strive to be mindful about how we support Indigenous families without imposing further harm.

 

By reframing our work (and our name) around permanent families instead of adoption, we aim to show the widening of our model and an expanded vision for what child-centred care can look like.

Our Journey to Reconciliation

Reconciliation for Evermore is recognizing the history of adoption and the impacts adoption has had on Indigenous culture, people, and community. Contributing to reconciliation is creating change in how we support Indigenous identity, culture, and communities by creating culturally interwoven programming. In demonstrating our solidarity, we must demonstrate this within how we present the organization. We see the need throughout our programming, and now that we see the need, we can also demonstrate the importance of personal experience and attendance.

2018
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Awareness

Began process: changed logo and branding, and developed Land Acknowledgement.
2022
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Inclusivity

Changed name to "The Evermore Centre". Expanded audience to include PSI Agreements, Guardianship and Kinship Carae.
2022
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Partnerships

Hiring Indigenous Board and Staff.
Indigenous Resource Representative position created.
2023
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Programming

Began developing Indigenous programming, and educating parents, caregivers and staff on Indigenous topics
2024
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Deliverables

Updated the website to include Indigenous content and resources, produced Indigenous-related material
Ongoing
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Honouring Connections

Our Impact

years

Providing adoption and permanency support in Saskatchewan.

client contacts

The number of clients we've supported over the last year.

resources & materials

In our adoption and permanency-related Carol Bothwell Library.

domestic adoption inquiries

Average number per year.