Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute

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INSTITUTE OFFERS ETHICS EDUCATION CREDITS FOR ADOPTION ATTORNEYS

The Adoption Institute is launching a new program to provide attorneys with continuing legal education credits in adoption ethics, part of our ongoing efforts to improve the field of adoption by putting "research into practice." The first set of courses, cosponsored with Ethica, Inc. and available July 15, is approved by the Florida Bar for attorneys in that state and in others who qualify. To read the press release announcing the program, click here. For more information and to sign up for the courses, click here.

Expanding Resources For Waiting Children II: Eliminating Legal & Practice Barriers to Gay & Lesbian Adoption

Finding Families for African American Children

Adoptive Parent Preparation: Meeting the Mental Health and Developmental Needs of Adopted Children

For the Records: Restoring a Right to Adult Adoptees

Safeguarding the Rights and Well-Being of Birthparents in the Adoption Process

Adoption in the Schools: A Lot to Learn

Expanding Resources for Children: Is Adoption by Gays and Lesbians Part of the Answer for Boys and Girls Who Need Homes?

Intercountry Adoption in Emergencies: The Tsunami Orphans

Safeguarding Interstate Adoptions: The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children

What’s Working for Children: A Policy Study of Adoption Stability and Termination

Adoption by Gays and Lesbians: A National Survey of Adoption Agency Policies, Practices and Attitudes

Unintended Consequences: 'Safe Haven' Laws Are Causing Problems, Not Solving Them

2002 National Adoption Attitudes Survey

The Gathering of the First Generation of Adult Korean Adoptees: Adoptees’ Perceptions of International Adoption

FOR THE RECORDS II: AN EXAMINATION OF THE HISTORY AND IMPACT OF ADULT ADOPTEE ACCESS TO ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES, released in July, based on examination of relevant judicial and legislative documents; decades of research and other scholarly writing; and of the concrete experiences of states and countries that have either changed their laws to provide these documents or never sealed them at all. more

BEYOND CULTURE CAMP: PROMOTING HEALTHY IDENTITY FORMATION IN ADOPTION, released in November 2009, is the most extensive and ambitious study on this issue to date, based on input from the primary experts on the subject: adults who were adopted as children. more

OLD LESSONS FOR A NEW WORLD: APPLYING ADOPTION RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY, released in February 2009, suggests that adoption's lessons can be used to improve policy and practice in the world of assisted reproductive technologies such as sperm, egg and embryo "donations." more

JULY/AUGUST E-NEWSLETTER

The July/August 2010 Adoption Institute E-Newsletter is now available. more
To access past issues, go to our archive.

UNIQUE PROJECT TO PROMOTE POSITIVE IDENTITY FOR TRANSRACIAL ADOPTEES

The Institute today announced that it is partnering with two major adoption placement and support organizations to develop innovative materials and resources to promote positive identity formation for transracially adopted children and youth at a "think tank" conclave at Tufts University on Wednesday, June 16. more

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK

The Adoption Institute has released an educational video about our work and impact. watch

6TH BIENNIAL ADOPTION CONFERENCE

Open Arms, Open Minds: The Ethics of Adoption in the 21st Century more

5TH BIENNIAL ACTION CONFERENCE

The Insititute is co-sponsoring and staffers are presenting at this conference more

EVENTS AND STAFF APPEARANCES

Our Executive Director Adam Pertman and senior staff frequently have appearances throughout the country. more

OUR HONORARY BOARD INCLUDES PROMINENT ADOPTION, ENTERTAINMENT AND BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

The Institute has formed an Honorary Board, which is composed of distinguished professionals who have committed themselves to increase the Institute's impact, resources and support. more

TASTE OF SPRING 2010

The Adoption Institute's Taste of Spring Gala was a fabulous success. more

OUR FIRST BOSTON BENEFIT

A brunch to benefit the Adoption Insitute was lots of fun and helped raise money and awareness. Please click here to view photos of the event.

LOS ANGELES BENEFIT 2010

The Adoption Institute's Los Angeles Benefit – Celebrating ... Our Families,
Our Children – was a success in every way. more

2009 ANNUAL REPORT

The Institute has released its Annual Report. Read about our accomplishments and consider contributing to our important work. more

HOST AN EVENT

If you are interested in hosting an event in your area, please contact Interim Development Director Nancy Tran at ntran@adoptioninstitute.org. And if parties are not "your thing," we welcome direct support of our work. more

BEYOND CULTURE CAMP: PROMOTING HEALTHY IDENTITY IN ADOPTION, FOR PROFESSIONALS

Designed to help professionals identify factors that support, encourage and nurture the development of healthy identity formation for transracial adoptees, programs and services that enable adoptees to develop healthy identities, and What type of education is needed for professionals, parents and the public to support health identity formation. On June 2, 2010 more

BEYOND CULTURE CAMP: A PARENT'S GUIDE TO PROMOTING HEALTHY IDENTITY IN ADOPTION

Adoptive parents will not want to miss this webinar. All parents want their children to grow up with a healthy sense of self. Yet for transracially formed adoptive families, the notion that this will naturally develop cannot be taken for granted. On June 23, 2010. more

See our past webinars here

ABC NEWS AND 'RADIO TIMES' FOCUS ON ACCESS TO ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES

ABC News examines the issue by interviewing adoptees and Executive Director Pertman here
The topic of discussion on 'Radio Times' was also adult adoptee access to original birth certificates listen

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PERTMAN ON CNN

Executive Director Adam Pertman was interviewed on CNN to discuss the Institute's new report, "For The Records II." The transcript is available here

'BROADSIDE' LOOKS AT ADOPTION

"Broadside" examines the choice of adoption to create a family watch

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION ON 'THE VIEW'

Executive Director Adam Pertman discusses international adoption on "The View" watch
To access the statistics he refers to click here

INSTITUTE RESPONDS ON 'RETURNED' ADOPTEE

The Institute is working to educate the public and policy makers, through the media, about this tragic case. more

ADOPTIVE PARENT PREPARATION

The Institute is working to make sure that adoptive placements are successful and permanent by shaping best-practice standards and providing training materials to help professionals in the preparation and support of adoptive parents. Trainings for professionals are now available or access a free copy of our timely report. For additional information on this initiative, contact Project Director David Brodzinsky.

SUPPORTS FOR FAMILIES AFTER ADOPTION

The Institute is working on two projects on post-adoption services. In one, with seed funding from Harmony Adoption Services, we are conducting a comprehensive research review on the needs of families after adoption and on services/interventions to address those needs. We also are completing an in-depth study, "Helping Families Adopting the Most Challenging Children." For more information, contact Executive Director Adam Pertman.

EQUALITY FOR ADOPTEES & BIRTHPARENTS

Our groundbreaking research is expanding the understanding of key policies and practices that are most helpful to birthmothers/fathers during the adoption process and throughout their lives; for more information, contact Program Director Susan Smith; Our research and advocacy work aims to help adult adoptees gain access to their original birth certificates; for information, contact Executive Director Adam Pertman.

EXPANDING RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN

The Institute is conducting several projects aimed at helping to increase the pool of adoptive parents for the more than 123,000 children waiting for permanent homes, including removing barriers to adoption by gay and lesbian prospective parents, and supporting diligent recruitment of African-American adoptive families.

EDUCATE THE EDUCATORS & THE MEDIA

The Institute works to improve curricula and to create a more supportive school environment for children who were adopted and/or in foster care. We also work with journalists to provide up-to-the-minute information with which to present a more accurate picture of adoption, foster care, and the millions of children and families they affect.