ONE TOUGH MOTHER

he was on the bottom of the list to adopt a child in B.C.

Now Sheila Paige is on top is the world with three children of her own from Guatemala.

“For the most part it's wonderful,” the good-humored single mother says of her six-year old daughter and two year-old twins.

Paige, 43, who now heads the foreign adoptions committee for a non-profit adoption agency, once doubted she'd ever get a shot at motherhood.

The Douglas College teacher was single and nearing 40 when she ap- plied to the Social Services Ministry.

Couples normally must be legally married and under 40 to qualify.

“The only reason they would even consider me was that | wanted a spe- cial-needs child," she says.

But Paige got tired of waiting, Three years ago she decided to take mat- ters into her own hands. “I gotona plane and went to Guatemala. | went to work at an orphanage as a volunteer."

Two months later she met Jennifer, then three years old, orphaned and badly in need of a mom.

“They were afraid she would just give up and die,” she recalls.

Within months, Paige was home in Port Coquitlam with her daughter.

Just over a year ago she learned that a poverty-stricken mother was offering her 10-month-old twins for

adoption. Paige went back to Guatemala and returned with her new son Matthew and daughter Maya.

But she and other experts on foreign adoptions warn that adopting a child from a Third World nation isn't the answer for everyone.

"These children are classified as special-needs," said Derry Lubell, a social worker who interviews couples interested in a foreign adop- tion.

"The child may be older, you may have no background on the child, there could be language problems and you may have no information on what has happened to the child."

The Province - August 16, 1987

NEW DEAN OF APPLIED PROGRAMS

ANNOUNCING...

The new Dean of Applied Programs, Dr. John McKendry, will be joining the College November 1, 1987. Jim Sator has agreed to continue as Ac- ting Dean of Applied Programs until October 31. From October 31 until December 31 Jim will be assigned responsibilities as Associate Dean of Applied Programs to provide advice and assistance to the Dean and to carry out staff projects for the Division and the College. As of January 1, 1988 Jim will resume his responsibilities as Director, Com- merce and Business Administration.

Connie Land will continue as Acting Director, Commerce and

Business Administration until Decem- ber 31, 1987.

Gordon Gilgan, Acting President

Douglas College's new Dean of Ap- plied Programs is Norman John Mc- Kendry. McKendry comes to this position from Saskatchewan where he is presently the Executive Direc- tor of the University Affairs Division for the Government of Sas- katchewan. He brings with him an extensive background in the Educa- . tion field. Educated both in Canada and the United States, he has pre- viously held positions in both countries. He currently lives in Regina with his wife and one daughter, Kristin. His wife, Shirley Ruth McKendry, is the director of the

- Provincial Daycare for the Govern-

ment of Saskatchewan.

Amongst his responsibilities with the University Affairs Division are capital budgeting for universities and col- leges, resource allocation, facility

. Management, and human resources

development and labour relations. Previous to that his history of employment is long and impressive. In 1963 he worked for Canadian General Electric. From there he worked for such companies as The Continued on page three _