Why did the Adoptive Families Association of BC become the Belonging Network?

The Adoptive Families Association of BC rebranded as the Belonging Network to reflect a scope broader than adoption alone. The organization now describes itself as providing "support, learning, and connection for adoptive and permanency families and youth from government care in BC," and its site frames the mission as "Belonging for all." The new name signals that its work covers permanency in several forms—adoption, guardianship, kinship care, Indigenous customary care, and foster care—rather than adoption as a single pathway. For the organization's own account of the change, the site points readers to its "About our new name and brand" page.

What changed beyond the name

The rebrand is not just cosmetic. The site's audience list has widened to match the new framing:

• New caregivers and waiting families
• Youth in and from care
• Relatives raising relatives (kinship care)
• Indigenous families
• Adoptive families and those pursuing guardianship

Under "Adoption & Permanency," the site treats adoption as one topic among several, alongside guardianship, kinship care, Indigenous customary care, and foster care. That structure explains the name: "belonging" covers every route to a permanent family, not only legal adoption.

Why "belonging" and "permanency" rather than "adoption"

The site defines permanency as a concept in its own right ("What is permanency?"), and its support services are organized around the permanency journey and the transition from government care—not around adoption applications. The homepage promise, "You belong here," addresses anyone on that journey, including youth leaving care who are not being adopted at all.

The organization also lists a "commitment to truth and reconciliation" among its stated priorities and includes Indigenous families and Indigenous customary care as named areas of focus. That inclusion fits a belonging-centered identity better than an adoption-only one.

Where to confirm the details

The rebrand explanation, including the reasoning behind the new name and brand, is on the organization's "About our new name and brand" page. The "Who we are" and "What we do" pages give the current mission and service scope. Readers who want the history should start with the name-and-brand page rather than infer the rationale from the homepage alone.