'Children Deserve to Know
Where They Come From'
is a campaign led
by Emma, a child behaviour advisor and family therapist


best known
for her work as
'The Child Listener™'

Welcome to The Child Listener's 2011 Campaign

- The Child Listener™ - A Voice for Kids

A focus on the Children

This can be a focus on children- or adults who were children - born through egg
donation, sperm donation, surrogacy, who were adopted....

The focus is on individuals who often had no say with regards to information sharing, contact, relationships - with other individuals who helped to bring them into the world. How does this affect their lives- their identity? Please share your stories, give professional input, send useful links. Together we can create a supportive online community and discuss these important issues.

We have created the following broad groups - focussing on children born from

Selected General Articles- Children Knowing Where They Come From-
Please do raise a discussion about any of these in our new forums:


Telling a child his 'father' is not his biological father- when the biological father steps
in and wants involvement
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/family-law/how-tell-father-not-biological-father-228960-2.html

Mother of a battle over certificates
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/mother-of-a-battle-over-certificates/story-fn56az2q-1226042414047
The Child Listener's comments on this story:
" Children's rights have historically been overlooked- even now we are failing to ensure that a child's birth certificate contains true information pertaining to that child's birth and biological origins. It is his ethical right to know. Unfortunately the social parents in many cases decide what they want- and this often involves giving an inaccurate or incomplete record. Where possible adults who are bringing a child into the world should respect the child enough to ensure that they will have access to information about themselves- about their true identity. This means details about the biological parents as well as social ones. And the ability to trace their biological family- ideally BEFORE they are 18. This is why I do not support anonymous donations- and why I promote private arrangements that allow for donations with all parties meeting and agreeing to act in the best interest of the child - even before the child is created! Many FSDW members- even married straight couples- are creating arrangements whereby their child can meet and be involved with the donor- and develop their own relationship. This relationship starts with being recognised within the child's birth certificate."


 

 

More here soon

---

 

The Role of Parenting

Also view information about the importance of parenting- ie nature v nurture.
Although biology MATTERS and children have a right to know where they come from- is parenting more of a factor in determining how a child 'turns out'?

More Info About Positive Parenting Can Be Found Here

For example please read this article - "How Parenting Matters" http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/how-parenting-matters/

What do children need to grow and develop? And how can their needs be met when parents work?

Emphasizing the importance of parental choice, quality of care, and work opportunities, economist Jane Waldfogel guides readers through the maze of social science research evidence to offer comprehensive answers and a vision for change.

Drawing on the evidence, Waldfogel proposes a bold new plan to better meet the needs of children in working families, from birth through adolescence, while respecting the core values of choice, quality, and work:

• Allow parents more flexibility to take time off work for family responsibilities;
• Break the link between employment and essential family benefits;
• Give mothers and fathers more options to stay home in the first year of life;
• Improve quality of care from infancy through the preschool years;
• Increase access to high-quality out-of-school programs for school-aged children and teenagers.

Buy the Book

More on this page coming soon- thank you for your patience!