Message from the Steering Committee

Hello Families of Imagine Adoption (FIA),

We wanted to touch base and acknowledge how difficult it’s been not to have received news of further developments since the creditors meeting on July 30. This silence however, is not indicative of a lack of progress.

Indeed, since our unanimous vote to move in the direction of reactivating the agency's operations, the FIA committee has been working to arrange a meeting with Federal Government officials to ensure key relationships with the countries in which IA operated - in particular with the appropriate adoption authorities - are being maintained.

The committee is also exploring possible strategies to raise funds that might be needed if and when a restructuring proposal is accepted.

We’ve also been in contact with international adoption lawyer, Ted Giesbrecht - sent by BDO to ensure the children's safety and assess IA's operations in Ethiopia - to discuss the necessary key components of any viable restructuring proposal, and the status of IA's relationships/contracts with various orphanages. The goal is to collect as much info as possible so that we can share it with you and so we all can make an informed decision regarding a proposed restructuring plan.

Our relationship with the Ontario Ministry of Child and Youth Services is being maintained. They’ve assured us that they’re committed to assisting us with restructuring efforts. However, the timeframe for when the proposal that has been submitted to BDO will be shared at the discretion of the trustee. On July 31, BDO posted a statement entitled Creditor Meeting and Future Activity which speaks to the timelines we should expect:

In this statement they indicated that "the next milestone is in 2 to 4 weeks with a report regarding a future governance structure, impact on creditor claims, family/adoption file management, business and financial requirements as well as Bankruptcy Court Process."

The inspector’s first meeting with the trustee is also scheduled for August 13. If you’d like more info on the role of the inspectors please read the following handout at: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/bsf-osb.nsf/eng/br01509.html

Finally, we know you have questions/concerns about the status of your files. Jo Anne Barber (former IA employee and appointed inspector), has begun to field these questions. She’s only available weekday mornings and has asked that any requests for this information be sent to her by email at Joann@imagineadoption.ca. Note: status info won’t include where your file is vis-à-vis or other files waiting for referrals.

Although we can’t guarantee ultimate outcomes, all efforts possible are being made to move us towards the implementation if a viable restructuring plan for all the FIA, including continuous improvement of our internal communications vehicles so you’re always updated of new developments.

Warm regards,

Christine Starr
Chair, FIA Steering Committee