In August, the Donaldson Adoption Institute (DAI) announced a bold new initiative that seeks to ignite a national conversation about adoption in the 21st century. Let’s Adopt Reform (http://www.letsadoptreform.org/) includes a four stop national tour, town hall meetings, and a virtual platform dedicated to leveraging the voices of our community to raise awareness about the adoption experience. DAI is kicking off National Adoption Month at the first stop of our National Tour in NYC (http://www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-adopt-reform-town-hall-in-nyc-registration-18819324105) on November 4th, 2015. We are excited to begin this next phase of our Let’s Adopt Reform initiative and will be revealing the results of our groundbreaking public opinion research that sheds light on modern day American perceptions of the adoption and foster care adoption experience.
The reality is, more Americans are connected to adoption then you may realize, with 60% reporting that they have friends or family members who have been impacted by adoption. The research also revealed that Americans rank adoption reform at the top of priority social issues, and over 80% of people support uniform, national standards for evaluating prospective adoptive parents.
At the same time, many Americans admit a lack of knowledge surrounding the realities of adoption, and the research reveals that many continue to hold stereotypes and misperceptions about adoption and those most personally connected to this experience. This lack of accurate knowledge makes it difficult to implement the necessary policy changes that keep families strong.
It is true that for many years awareness about adoption has been plagued by many inaccurate perspectives. Often times, these stereotypes are fueled by depictions of adoption in the popular media that highlight the extreme scenarios which are not representative of the more common adoption experiences. These representations fuel continued misunderstanding and can stymie progressive change.
What is heartening is the fact that more and more topics surrounding adoption are making their way into the popular discourse. Costco, for example, recently dedicated the “informed debate” section in their monthly newsletter to the issue of whether or not adopted persons should be able to access their original birth certificates. Some commented that this was an unusual place for this discussion, and wondered whether it was a worthwhile place for such a critically important issue.
The Costco Connection newsletter reaches over 8 million households, to say nothing of their online audience. It is crucial that we find avenues to include relevant and realistic conversations about adoption and foster care adoption experiences in every setting possible as a way to increase awareness and challenge the misperceptions that hold us back. We must expand this conversation far and wide if we are to achieve meaningful changes that strengthen families and ensure the well being of children.
Many of us who are closest to adoption may feel frustrated that we have talked about so many of these vital issues for years. It can feel exhausting to continue to engage in this discourse, particularly when we see some of the most important changes continue to be stalled in legislatures and through inconsistent practices that do not always lead to strong families.
This is why the conversation does need to continue but we need to do it in a very different way, and in a manner where we can use the knowledge gained to enhance what is working well but also ensure that meaningful changes occur where needed. Through Let’s Adopt Reform, DAI is inspired to lead a new dialogue, guided by our groundbreaking public opinion research, and one in which we can explore the issues that matter most to all of us. Our aim is to move that discussion to the wider community, while ensuring the voices of those most impacted are at the forefront of the conversation. In doing so, we have every hope in our ability to inspire progress and ultimately ensure strong families.
National Adoption Month brings heightened attention to the experience of the adoption and foster care adoption communities, and so it is a poignant platform to ignite this new conversation. However, these issues are relevant throughout the year. DAI will continue our National Tour at other key locations throughout the country and we welcome all voices to participate in this powerful conversation. At the conclusion of the National Tour, DAI will issue a landmark report that will combine our decades of academic research with modern public opinion research and first-hand experiences to define the core perception, policy and behavioral shifts that are needed to put strong families at the center of adoption and foster care adoption practices.
We have an amazing opportunity to raise awareness and educate about the experience of adoption and foster care adoption in a thoughtful and realistic way. Within our new vision, DAI is committed to building on what we already know is best practice, actively listening to community voices, and creating practical tools and resources in order to accelerate positive change. Our National Tour sets the stage for the conversation that needs to occur first in order for us to best support and strengthen families.
Strong families build strong communities and strong communities make a better world for all of us. Every child deserves the chance to be a part of a strong family. Join us as we elevate the dialogue and stimulate positive change. Every voice is critical to this conversation. Add yours (http://www.letsadoptreform.org/adoption-experience/) to Lets Adopt Reform and register today (http://www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-adopt-reform-town-hall-in-nyc-registration-18819324105) for our first Town Hall in NYC.
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