Since 1996, The Donaldson Adoption Institute (DAI) has worked to improve the lives of children and families across our country and around the world through research, education and advocacy that have led to better laws, policies and practices. We engage all members of the adoption and foster care adoption communities, including the professionals that serve them. As we enter into our twentieth year, DAI is introducing a new vision which will guide our work going forward.
After decades of research and the collective work of DAI and others, our current system still too often treats adoption as if it’s nothing more than a one-time transaction. Because of this, individuals and families are left to navigate the complexities of the adoption experience without the knowledge, support and guidance necessary to keep them strong. It is imperative that the adoption community, including the professionals that serve them, take this knowledge base to a critical new level and provide the practical resources people need.
DAI is committed to reframing the conversations and changing perceptions, encouraging authentic relationships, building coalitions, and being a practical resource in order to ensure the strength of all families. Ultimately, DAI’s new vision will enable us to enhance our work as a critical contributor to the adoption reform movement and ultimately strengthen all families.
New Vision
In 2014, as part of its evolution, DAI launched four pillars of focus: The Adoption Experience, Foster Care Adoption, Adoption Support Services and The Modern Family. The pillars allowed DAI to sharpen its focus. We recognize today that the changing needs of our stakeholders necessitate a bold new step for DAI. Critical elements include:
* the engagement of all members of the adoption and foster care adoption communities, including the professionals that serve them;
* the commitment to reframing the conversations and changing perceptions surrounding adoption and foster care adoption;
* encouragement of authentic relationships and coalitions that work in concert and,
* the distribution of essential and practical resources.
From our inception, DAI has focused on investigation and understanding the practices and experience related to adoption and foster care adoption. By building on what we already know is best practice, we now look to accelerate positive change by actively listening to community voices and creating practical tools and resources with an ultimate goal of making families stronger.
New Board and Staff Updates
In order to expand and grow, DAI recognizes the need to engage a wide range of individuals and partners. Kim Stevens (Project Director, Advocates for Families First/NACAC) and Betsie Norris (Executive Director, Adoption NetworkCleveland) have both joined DAI’s Board of Directors. Their years of professional experience and personal passion will greatly impact DAI at an exciting time. Dr. William Boltz, formerly DAI’s Development Director, has been promoted to Deputy Director. Dr. Boltz’s expanded role offers DAI the ability to grow strategically and to focus on operational excellence. The newest member of the team is Program Director Kim Paglino. In this role, Ms. Paglino will be focused on guiding DAI’s programmatic work, including legislative advocacy and stakeholder/community engagement.
Council of Advisors
DAI is building on its distinguished Senior Fellows Program by expanding and growing it into a new structure: the DAICouncil of Advisors (CoA). The overarching purpose of this group will be to harness expertise and experience from across the adoption and foster care adoption spectrum. It will provide strategic and programmatic guidance to DAI, enabling it to better serve its communities and ultimately broaden its reach.
Members of the CoA will have the unique opportunity to impact DAI’s work as well as to build community within a diverse group, drawing from multiple disciplines and including various stakeholders. CoA members will be exposed to differing perspectives and experiences, creating potential for cross disciplinary projects, studies and collaborations. Members of this prestigious group will be announced in the coming months.
Moving Forward
For almost two decades, DAI has worked hard to generate research and advocate for law, policies and practices that ensure ethics and transparency in adoption. Everything we do and every action we take is geared toward safeguarding the best interests of children, enhancing the adoption experience, sustaining families, and achieving equitable treatment for everyone within the extended family of adoption. As we boldly embrace our new vision we will continue to uphold our core values while also seeking new and innovative ways to change perceptions and behaviors surrounding adoption and foster care adoption. As we work to actively change the context of the adoption experience, we have every hope that the system that guides adoption will be able to honor adoption as the transformative experience it is. Further, what we have learned is best practice for adoption and foster care adoption is generally good practice for all families. Our hope then is that as we advance our work, reframe perceptions and reform practices surrounding adoption and foster care adoption, our new vision has the potential to strengthen the diverse types of families that make our world a rich and vibrant.
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